An Unexpected Journey
by mirkwood-elf-2931
Summary: Sequel to SitTs - 5 months later, Arwen & Thalawen recieve a letter that sends them on a long trip for Gondor & on the way meet up with Landailyn. But when they are captured by the Corsairs of Umbar, will the 3 be able to escape them? - DONE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer :** These characters, events and settings do not belong to us. Thalawen and Landailyn and the rest are either completely made up or belong to J.R.R Tolkien. Also please note that there is NO slash, harsh language or sexual content in this story! Though there is some mild violence, character angst, true friendships (_means again that there is NO slash_) and a little romance as you all know from our other story Shadow in the Trees! Also please note that we _know_ that this is not really how the Two Towers and the Return of the King went, we're mostly making up our own stuff here!  
**  
AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 1**  
  
  
The sound of a gentle breeze drifted among the fully leaved green trees, as black booted feet walked silently along a baring path in a wood their owner had called home for over two millennia.  
  
It was early, not as early as the Elf would have liked to have set out, but a few things had been in need of attendance before she was able to get away. Sometimes, she regretted when duty called for Mirkwood's royal guard captain.  
  
Five months had flown by since the incident with Saruman and Thalawen. And Landailyn had not been able to see her old and more newer friends at all during this period. So now was the time, she thought, to head out and pay them a little surprise visit.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
  
  
A beautiful June wind rattled the leaves of Rivendell's trees. Thalawen looked up inquizitively; something was coming, she thought to herself. Hopefully it was something good, unlike the Council of Elrond five months before. Those visitors had brought unwelcome news and taken her friends away from her. Thalawen shook herself to relieve the thoughts of the previous months. Saruman was still a nightmare on cold and lonely nights.        
  
As usual, Thalawen was at the base of the Last Homely House, knocking an arrow into her bow and letting it fly. It went straight to the center, the wind did not deter it on its course. This was a wonderful time for Thalawen to practice, but also for her to go over things in her mind. She loved the solace her training sessions brought her; the feel that she was the only one in the whole of Middle-Earth. But soon after the incident with the White Wizard, she'd hated the thought of being alone. 

  
Thalawen let another arrow fly into the center dot on the tree. She was just reaching back for another when something caught her attention out the corner of her eye. Forgetting the next arrow, she turned to see Arwen coming slowly down the path toward her, her face hidden behind a slip of parchment. Setting her bow down quickly, she rushed over to meet her. "What is it?" she asked breathlessly.

  
"It's a letter from Aragorn." Arwen chewed on her finger nail worried-like, but would say nothing more. Her eyes were zooming back and forth across the page.

  
"Arwen..." said Thalawen impatiently. But still she was not listening. At this, Thalawen waited patiently for her to finish the letter in peace. When Arwen finally looked up at her, she asked, "Well? What news does Aragorn have for us?"

  
Arwen looked down and calmly folded the parchment back to the way she had recieved it. "He says the One Ring has been destroyed." At this Thalawen let out a sigh of relief. "The Fellowship is fine, they are all safe. Only Boromir and Haldir did not make it." A small tear formed in her eyes for the lost man and Elf. 

  
"I'm sorry, Arwen. I know Haldir was your friend of old." Thalawen patted Arwen's shoulder comfortingly.

  
"Yes, he was. But Aragorn goes on to say that Gandalf did not fall into shadow after all, that he is alive and is now Gandalf the White." Arwen paused briefly. "Also, Aragorn has been crowned King in Gondor." There was no smile on her face at this joyous news. 

  
Thalawen slowly wrapped Arwen in her arms. "I know you want to be with him, little sister." She paused when Arwen said nothing. "Do you not?"

  
"Oh, I do. I want to be there with him more than anything. It has been so long since last he held me in his arms. I need him, Thalawen," she cried on Thalawen's shoulder.

  
"There, there. Then we shall go to him and all will be well. How is that?"   
  
At the news that Thalawen would accompany her to Gondor, Arwen smiled her luminescent smile. But a single thought crossed her mind and made her frown.   
  
Thalawen read it plainly on her face. "Do no be worried about Father. He will let us, I'm sure of it."

  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
  
  


Later that night, shouting voices could be heard inside the House of Elrond. 

  
Thalawen angrily paced the floor, making the rug bunch up on the wood floor. "Why, Father? She needs to be with Aragorn. It is her choice to go," she said vehemently.

  
"I do not want her traveling with only you, as you well know what happened last she went on an adventure," Elrond stated stubbornly.

  
"She was fine! Nothing happened that she could not take care of. She is not a child."  
  
"She is _my_ child and I will not let anything happen to her!" Elrond shouted.

  
"Father, please. Let her be with Aragorn. She is not happy here with just me."

  
"You forget, I am here too," said Elrond.

  
"You do not love her the way Aragorn does. She will be perfectly safe with me, Father." With that said she went to him and touched his arm lovingly. "I would never let anything happen to my sister. I promise."

  
Elrond rubbed the bridge of his nose in concentration. Why did his only daughter want to leave him? There was nothing he could do to make her not love Aragorn, no matter how hard he had tried. He did not want to see her unhappy. The battle was lost on his part and he gave in. "When you reach Gondor and Arwen is with Aragorn, you will come back to me, won't you?" he asked quietly. Hopefully one of his daughters would stay with him.

  
Thalawen smiled and hugged Elrond tightly. "Yes, Father. If that is your wish."

  
He returned her smile. Looking at her now, he noted how beautiful she was, much like Arwen. He did not witness her physical change when she'd been turned by Saruman, but he was infinately glad that she had once regained her dark green eyes, the loose curls in her raven-black hair, the soft white skin that held no flaw. He then turned to look out the window across Rivendell. "It is, my daughter. It is."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Will you be ready within the hour, Thala?" asked Arwen as she poked her head through the door.  
  
Thalawen looked up from the complicated belts and buckles around her body. "Yes, sooner if you would be so kind as to put my weapons on Asfaloth." She pointed toward her bed, indicating where the bow, quiver, and sword lay.  
  
Arwen went to the bed and put the bow and quiver full of arrows around her body, then bent down again for the sword. Carafang was its name, and Arwen could tell it had recently been polished. No longer was the blade dull from the past few months of disuse. After Arwen and Thalawen had gotten home from that terrible journey five months ago, Thalawen had put the blade away and chose to spend her time with beings instead of steal.   
  
Arwen could only remember Thalawen cleaning it once after they'd returned home, and that was to clean the last remaining flecks of Orc blood away from its gleaming shaft. This sword had been in many battles, but the princess knew it had only ever been used once against its master.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Patting her hand on the white horse's side, she whispered her goodbye to her closest friend. Ezril rubbed his head against his owner, their hair mingled and entwined. Coarse white hair against soft raven-black strands, black as pitch.  
  
"I will miss you, boy," Thalawen murmured.  
  
Exril's soft whinny was his own lament for her.  
  
Thalawen put her forehead to the steed's own and closed her eyes, breathed in his smell. On a long sigh she let go of him and walked out of the stables, into the sunshine. There at the door of the barn stood Elladan and Elrohir.  
  
"Saying goodbye to your loverboy?" teased Elrohir.  
  
"Did you give him a big smacking kiss on the lips to last him while you're gone?" asked Elladan.  
  
Thalawen couldn't help but laugh at their implication of the relationship she may have with her horse. She quietly put her arms around each in turn and said her farewell to her brothers.  
  
"Send us a letter when you get there," Elladan reminded her.  
  
"That is if you get there," said Elrohir in his need to join in and add his little bit to the conversation.   
  
"Of course. Anything for my two favorite brothers."  
  
"We're your only brothers!" they exclaimed in unison.  
  
She looked over her shoulder to laugh as she walked away, going to look for her adopted father.  
  
  
**TBC ...**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 2**_  
  
  
_Just after first light hit Rivendell, two cloaked figures and a great white steed were already on their way over the High Pass in the northern Misty Mountains, hoping to come to the bottom on the other side at dark. They had many leagues to walk to get to the southern lands of Gondor, but it would be well worth it for Thalawen to see her sister happy again, once they had reached their journey's end.  
  
"Are you excited to see Aragorn?" asked Thalawen as they walked along the path.  
  
Arwen breathed a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky above. "I can't wait for the moment I arrive." She looked down at the ground and spoke softly, "Do you think he'll be excited to see me? I guess I should've written ahead that I would be coming..." She trailed off into uncertainty.  
  
Giving support, Thalawen threw her arm around Arwen and hugged her close. "Do not be troubled with that. You know he will be delighted at the sight of your face. I'm sure it is all he could ever ask for," she said as she tried to buster up Arwen's self-confidence. "How long have you known Aragorn? Don't let these silly thoughts of unwant invade and take root in your heart."  
  
Arwen's face slowly went from heavyhearted to uplifting. She nodded her agreement with Thalawen's words. "Sister, I think you're right."  
  
"Yes, that's usually the case..." Before Thalawen could finish her sentence they each sensed a presence among them; unseen and watchful. Thalawen deftly pushed Arwen behind her, using her body as a human shield for whatever danger they were in. In the event that it was perilous, Thalawen could hold off the attackers long enough for Arwen to escape.  
  
Knocking an arrow into her bow, Thalawen stepped stealthly forward, only to see a familiar face appear from behind a tall rock. So astonished by who it was, she could barely get out the exclamation. "Landy!"  
  
"Thala! Arwen?!" Landailyn saw someone leaning around from behind the Elf that aimed their bow at her.  
  
The three she-Elves stood there staring at one another, soon the corner's of their mouths were turned up and each one began to snicker, which after a minute turned into a giggling fit and all lowered their weapons.  
  
"My friend," Said Arwen, through her unsettled laughter, as the two took their turns in hugging the fair haired Elf. "What are you doing out here?"  
  
"_I'm _on my way to your house! What are you two doing?!"  
  
"_We _are on our way to Gondor." Thalawen spoke up the reason for their travel.  
  
Landailyn straightened her cocked head. "Gondor?"  
  
Arwen beamed brightly. "You were not sent a message? Aragorn's coronation was last month! I'm going down there to be with him. Thalawen's just along because she thinks that since I'm younger and incapable, I can't go anywhere without her." Even though the truth was that she preferred to go with her sister, even if she could travel alone just fine.  
  
Thalawen shot her a glare from her place not three feet away.  
  
Landailyn gave a short laugh, realizing how much she'd missed their jesting. Sometimes they could be just like their mischievous twin brothers or Legolas and Aragorn. "Well, I'm very glad to hear he has finally been crowned. He certainly deserves the honor."  
  
"Hey," Said Thalawen suddenly. "You want to come, right?"  
  
It wasn't really a question, if she had stopped to think about it. It was asked like a question, but Thalawen really meant that she had better not say 'no' and turn to head home. Landailyn raised her brows, not sure what to say. "Uh...if it's...alright..."  
  
"Of course it is!" Arwen cut in. "We would love to have you along! We can contact Father when we have arrived and have him let Lord Thranduil know you have taken a slight detour."  
  
Landailyn grinned. If she was with his son, she knew the Elf-king wouldn't mind her staying away longer than she would have in Rivendell. "Well, I suppose then I'm coming."  
  
The sisters exchanged pleased smiles.  
  
Landailyn had never been to the White City before and was more than happy to join them. She would get to see Legolas and Aragorn and now she couldn't wait for the moment of surprise. "So," She began, following them as they moved to resume walking the mountain path. "What all have you heard exactly? Was there much about the Fellowship? Has the Ring been destroyed yet?" Automatically lowering her voice at the mention of the object.  
  
"Actually, yes it has." Arwen replied. "When it was, I do not know and I assume everyone will be heading home soon, the Hobbits anyway. Oh," She stopped walking and the two beside her did the same. "There is more good news to this as well...Mithrandir is alive after all!"  
  
Landailyn felt as if she could have jumped for joy and hug the both of them again. "Those bits of news have been the best I've heard in a long time!"  
  
"But," Thalawen continued, not meaning to dampen the mood. But anyone should know that that particular word was never positive just after hearing good news.  
  
Though it was Arwen who gave up the rest of the information. "Both Boromir of Gondor and Haldir of Lorien were slain in battle with Uruk-hai."  
  
This totally wiped what grin Landailyn had left about Gandalf and the Ring right off her happy face, leaving her to stare at the princess in shock. They watched her silently, as she looked down and shook her head. "Is everyone else alright?" She almost didn't want to ask.  
  
"They are. They have all reunited in Minas Tirith."  
  
Landailyn's smile slightly returned, glad for at least a little more good news.  
  
Arwen looked skyward again, determining the time.  
  
Thalawen noticed and too glanced up briefly. "Should we make camp?"  
  
The youngest she-Elf shrugged, taking up Asfaloth's lead rope. "With these unpleasant gray clouds overhead, we could start looking for shelter."  
  
Her companions shot questioning glances at one another to make sure they all agreed and when they were, off they went in search of a place they knew would be dry if it were to rain sometime during the night.  
  
Over hangings of large bushes and thick rock off the base of the looming mountains served well for the three that desperately wished to keep themselves and their equipment dry.  
  
"Oh, I meant to ask, how is Ezril doing in his new home?" Said Landailyn casually, as she took off her travel supply pack to rest it against the slanted wall of stone.  
  
The mention of her horse's name brought a smile of reverie to Thalawen's face; her eyes became far away and reflective. "He is doing well and has settled right into his new home in Rivendell. Never does he get the urge to roam free, which seems odd to me since he is one of the Mearas after all," she pondered.  
  
"Hmm..." Landailyn added her own thoughts on this matter, knowing she hadn't had much trouble getting the horse to follow her in the first place. "Perhaps he has finally found a true home and has no need of wandering any longer.  
  
"Indeed, indeed," Thalawen agreed. "And how is captain-hood suiting you?" There was a trace of farce in her voice to accompany the not-so-subtle smile on her face.  
  
Throwing a piercing glance Thalawen's way, Landailyn replied. "It has been fine and well." And with that she threw her nose in the air and chose to ignore Thalawen's silent giggles, trying to suppress her own.  
  
"It is good to see you Landy, you can't know how much I've missed you these past months." An arm around each other, they walked to pick up firewood._  
  
  
_*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~* _  
  
  
_Barreling through the mists on the Anduin was the black warship of Captain Faeroth.  
  
At average height, he was a well built man of forty years. His skin held a deep tan from months of sailing in the heat of the early season, his wavy shoulder length hair a medium brown, his remorseless eyes a light gray.  
  
It was the sixth month already and he and his group had only so long to return south to Umbar with as many prisoners as possible, as was ordered by their lordship.  
  
It was just after sunrise now and he stood silently at the helm peering out over the land on either side of them, deciding which one he should dock. If anyone at this point, there would most likely be more travelers in the west than there would in the east. So the west bank became his choice and he steered the Shadow Specter toward it.  
_  
_  
**TBC ...**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 3**  
  
  
Many days south, and after meeting Landailyn, they were upon the Gladden Fields. The location where they had last seen one another, parting in their separate ways for their own homes. The flat prairie grassland was beautiful in this time of year; the long grass shoots blew and arced into the shape of s's in the wind. Trees and small forests were scattered few and far between, but in this open field laughter could be heard, ringing out, the sound traveling farther than it should have.  
  
"And then Arwen looks back at me to laugh, for I could not make that damnable horse stand still. Unbeknownst to her that a low branch was coming and WHAP!" Thalawen slapped her hands together for emphasis and guffawed even louder, making her next words hard to understand. "Off she flew from her horse's back! Hit the ground like a sack of potatoes! Believe you me that was one of the more un-Elf-like moments I've ever seen!"  
  
Landailyn was hunched over, slapping her knee in a fit of laughter, as Thalawen stiffly fell to the ground, proclaiming she couldn't breathe.  
  
Hand on her hip, Arwen had had just about enough of hearing Thalawen spill her guts about their childhood 'embarrassments.' "Are you quite finished?" she asked coolly.  
  
"Oh, c'mon, Arwen. You know that was funny!" exclaimed Thalawen.  
  
A dimple showed in Arwen's cheek, but quickly vanished. "No it wasn't, Thala!"  
  
Landailyn could tell quite a few of her own comical tales with Legolas, but chose not to bring up the prince in Thalawen's presence for fear of hurtful memories re-surfacing. "Did you hear that?" She stopped where she was and looked slowly to the right, scanning the oncoming woodland in what light was left.  
  
"Hear what?" Thalawen asked. She and Arwen hadn't really been paying much attention, but to the subject they were arguing about. Their voices too loud for hearing much of anything, especially a sound in the woods.  
  
Landailyn had been listening to them with a smile, but now shook her head, not hearing the sound again. But not liking the thought of stumbling into trouble when it could be helped. "I'm going ahead. Be careful."  
  
"You too." Said Arwen, as both sisters nodded and watched as the Elf cautiously disappeared among the trees, bow tightly clutched in her hand.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Landailyn jogged within the midst of the little forest, but slowed to a complete stop when she'd made an important discovery.  
  
Down around her feet, tracks in the mud of the clearing circled her and went outward in all directions. They were tracks like her own, Humans most likely, or Orcs, for these went deep, where Elves hardly made a print at all.  
  
_Snap_. She jerked at detecting the soft noise, which was followed by a crunch of leaves under heavy feet and she dared move no more. Now what in Middle-earth was this? _Could_ it be Orcs? But she could hear no Orchish cries, nor smell the foul beasts. So, what then?  
  
She felt no evil. Something was just not right, especially after being accompanied by noises. Whatever, she could feel it all around her now, almost suffocating her senses with a strong warning of danger.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
A clear whistle broke shrilly on the evening wind.  
  
The two she-Elves stopped talking and were immediately on alert. It had sounded natural and casual enough, like it could have come from some large bird close by, but from what they had been taught by their friend of the different meanings of whistles, they knew it had come from her and something was very wrong. Especially since this particular whistle meant to either run, or hide.  
  
"Nor, Asfaloth!" [_Run, Asfaloth!_] Arwen whispered fiercely to her horse. "Nor!" [_Run!_] The great beast did as told and dashed into the night, leaving the two standing there to themselves.  
  
Thalawen was torn at what to do; her friend could need help if there had been an attack, but at the same time she also needed to protect her sister.  
  
She reached down for the hilt of her sword, but found she only grabbed the air. Almost cursing aloud, she perceived that all their weapons had been left strapped to Asfaloth's saddle. Stunned by the whistle's meaning, she hadn't thought about them. She and Arwen had nothing to defend themselves if needed and they could not call Asfaloth back, it would give their position away for sure.  
  
Arwen must have also realized this, for she suggested what they should now do. "We must hide, Thala!" She continued to whisper.  
  
"But Landy, should I not go...!"  
  
"If she is in trouble and we too are caught, what good will it do her?"  
  
Even if she didn't feel right about it, Thalawen swiftly followed Arwen to find a decent hiding place.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Enclosing on her from all sides were the same men who'd made the tracks surrounding her. They had seen her coming and had been waiting to catch her in this spot.  
  
She watched the group carefully, letting them get as close as possible; making it look as though she was afraid of them, then let them have it.  
  
Landailyn shot two arrows at once, three separate times. Making sure that whoever they hit stayed down. Drawing a knife, she fought one handed. The small blade was a winning match, even against their full swords. She had killed several, but a hopeful dent in number was going nowhere. There were many and she couldn't quite keep track of every single one.  
  
The she-Elf worked quickly. But while occupied with one man, who would not let her do anything but block, her bow was roughly ripped from her right hand. She finally threw her attacker backward, but this new move had startled her beyond anything, to just have her weapon taken from her grip in the blink of an eye.  
  
She turned her head in the thief's direction. A big mistake on her part, for the one she had just gotten rid of came back for more and simply knocked her other weapon from her left loosened hand. With a swishing through the air, the knife went sailing out of sight.  
  
Time was not on her side. She could make no reaction and would have to surrender. As it was, an arrow tip stared her in the face. She glared darkly around at those in view, as two others reached around and brought her wrists behind her back binding them with stiff biting rope.  
  
One pulled a large dagger, cutting the leather straps of her quiver so she could do nothing further with the weapons she still held. He threw it carelessly to the ground and what was left of her arrows spilled out.  
  
The group turned her southwards, the way she and her friends had originally been heading, but stopped after a few yards, as more came to join them, followed by a last significant looking man.  
  
"We got one, Captain!" An elderly Human with a full beard called from the back, as those in front brought their catch forth.  
  
"Good job." He congratulated his men at the news of a new prisoner. Then took a good look in the twilight, as they stood the person before him. "Oh, but what do we have here?" He asked with a slight smirk, getting a closer look at the young looking blonde. "An Elf." Simply answering himself, with wondering eyes glued to Landailyn. "We'll certainly have fun with this one." Faeroth almost whispered, though it had had the hint of a sarcastic tone.  
  
He'd dealt with a few of her kind in the past, who had been deliberately captured because the Elves were known for their excellent work in forging metal items and could withstand the harshness of the labors they put their slaves through much longer than any Human ever had. But it seemed that every one of them just could not behave and learn from their mistakes.  
  
But then, that was the best part, he much enjoyed trying to discipline them.  
  
Faeroth looked over their current area and saw that several of the party of men lay dead. He sighed and back handed the restrained girl. "Don't try anything, if you know what's good for you." He spoke to her low and warningly, then looked up and addressed his crew. "Let's go ahead and load her with the rest."  
  
They walked along at a steady pace for sometime with Landailyn continually looking for a chance to escape. The opportunity did not present itself until they were nearly to the shores of the Great River and the man following her stumbled on a unnoticed upturned root.  
  
Catching him off guard in his state of unbalance, she whirled around to ram him in the chest with her shoulder.  
  
"Get her!"  
  
She could clearly hear the captain yelling, as she started off in a jog and sped it up into a run, dodging the thickening trees around her. But too soon for her liking the chase had ended.  
  
There were too many trees for one to send an arrow to do the job, so one of the two chasing her snaked a long whip around her right ankle and with a hard jerk, pulled her leg out from under her, her body hitting the grassy ground with a loud thud, nearly knocking all air from her lungs. Her chest ached from the plunge and she gasped and coughed, as they picked up her limp form from the forest floor and drug her back to the waiting group.  
  
Faeroth's patients always had been short and grew shorter still with these intolerable prisoners. He nodded for them to bring her more to his level. Without difficulty, the same two men bent to grab her arms and stand her up on her own.  
  
Without hesitation, the captain raised his hand to slap her, much harder than before and on the opposite cheek. So hard, it spun her to face the opposite direction, bringing her to her knees. And she felt the familiar stinging of a cut lip, as warm blood oozed from the left corner of her mouth.  
  
She turned back slowly, her piercing eyes glaring up at him, seeming to burn a hole right through the man.  
  
"I told you not to try anything! You _will_ calm down, Elf!" He yelled. "If I have to beat it into you! Now get up!" He jerked her bound hands upward and shoved her into one of the men, who pointed his blade at her in warning.  
  
The rest of the way, she obeyed the captain's words, though she hated to and there were many unseen attempts at desperately trying to loosen her ropes, but they only proved to tighten, the rough fibers digging deeper into her skin. And she still did not bother struggle when they chained her to a wall in a darkened room on the bottom deck.  
  
And here it was she sat for two solid, very uneventful hours.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Faeroth raised his brows. "Two more, you say?"  
  
"Aye, Captain." Reported the scout, who had come to tell him of their newest capture. "They're coming with them soon. They led us on quite a chase and one of them put up a good fight too. Wouldn't settle down."  
  
He nodded. "Well, put them in the cell downstairs with the Elf. I don't want them stirring up the other prisoners."  
  
The man confirmed he understood the order and left to wait for his companions.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Captain says to put them in the cell with the Elf down below." They overheard the scout telling his friend.  
  
Elf? Thalawen and Arwen realized what it was that he meant by this, as they glanced over at one another for a few seconds. Could the 'Elf' be Landailyn? If so, they must think that the 'Elf' and the two weren't traveling together. Apparently, they mistook them for Human women, for both wore long, closed cloaks with sleeves, concealing their Elven clothing beneath and their thick hair hung down freely, hiding their pointed ears.  
  
For in truth, these men had never seen an Elf with dark hair before and for all they knew they didn't exist. But for Landailyn, her looks could not have been helped even if she had tried. No matter what, they would have found her out an Elf.  
  
They were taken down through a trap door into the bottom of the ship and lead to another full sized door, where inside they were shackled beside one another along the left wall. After the guards left, they took a look around.  
  
Across the shadowy space of the room, they realized what, or rather whom the other wall literally held. Both of their thoughts had proved correct.  
  
"Are you two alright?!" The person asked, not entirely surprised to see her friends. The men must have been watching from somewhere around them, she thought. "I'm sorry. Obviously my warning to you was not soon enough."  
  
"It's okay, Landy, we're fine. Listen, they think we don't know you! They don't even know we're Elves! They only put us in here because they think us trouble makers!" Explained Arwen.  
  
Landailyn nodded, smiling slightly. "Same here. Stubborn Elf that cannot seem to learn."  
  
Small smiles also broke on their serious faces.  
  
"We can only hope they never find you out. They seem to have a certain 'disliking' for our kind. And we'll have to continue 'not knowing one another'."  
  
They didn't like the thought of being treated so differently from her, but the two agreed with this. Of course Thalawen didn't want Arwen getting hurt and if they found out she too was an Elf, the princess would be discovered along with her. And she knew Landailyn would not want this just the same.  
  
Landailyn, whose eyes had adjusted long ago to the darkness, saw that Thalawen bled a little at the nose. "Put up a good fight too?" She asked.  
  
Thalawen snickered, soon seeing on Landailyn what she apparently saw on her. "Yeah. And a good chase."  
  
"Well," Arwen began. "How are we going to get out of this one? Except for Father, Elladan and Elrohir, no one knows we're on our way to Minas Tirith."  
  
"You sent Asfaloth away, did you not?"  
  
Arwen nodded, understanding where Thalawen was going.  
  
"He'll go home once you don't come back for him and he'll tell them for us." She said, wanting to give her younger sibling and friend some hope. "They'll know something is wrong. They know you meant to take Asfaloth with you and he has all our weapons and supplies as well."  
  
"But it's days back to Imladris from where I let him go. We'll have a good wait for that and then another one as soon as someone figures out what must have happened and sets out to find us."  
  
"Arwen...you did tell them which...?"  
  
"Which way we were going? Yes, I told all three of them."  
  
Thalawen let out a small, relieved sigh, which Arwen chuckled at. "So who are these men anyway?" Thalawen asked to neither specific Elf.  
  
"Unfortunately and definitely corsairs." Landailyn sighed. "They come from a vast land south of Gondor, called Umbar. They are known for capturing people like this to enslave them."  
  
"Slaves?" Thalawen asked, eyes growing a little.  
  
"Slaves." Landailyn confirmed. "Usually in metal work. Or even to be sold to other people that are in this 'business'. They know Elves do better in slavery than other races and since they rarely catch any of us...we are invaluable."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Good morning, Estel. What is that?" Legolas' curiosity got the better of him, when Aragorn came into his throne room, concentrating down on a piece of parchment in his hands. The king stopped and looked up at him. Studying the man for mere seconds, the prince could immediately read a great happiness, yet hints of worry among his features.  
  
Aragorn smiled at his friend. "It's a letter from my father. He says they received my message and now Arwen and Thalawen are on their way here."  
  
"Oh?" Legolas smiled, almost amusingly. "Then why do you look so worried along with your happiness?"  
  
Aragorn raised his brows as if to think about it, before replying. Of course, his friend always noticed these little things. "Well with what's been going on lately, apparently danger is around every corner. I'm just concerned with what will happen along their way."  
  
Legolas nodded in understanding. "Aye, I hope it is a safe journey for them both."  
  
Aragorn's smile returned. "As do I."_  
  
  
_**TBC ...**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
  
**Over a month away, northwest of Minas Tirith, it was still early morning in the hidden refuge of Rivendell, the brightly shining sun a half circle, peaking over the mountain tops in its attempt to make itself whole. Another day was beginning and the great Lord Elrond stood like a statue, looking out over the magnificent city, with its glistening rooftops and huge waterfalls._  
_  
"My lord! My lord!"  
  
He turned swiftly as a servant hurried in behind him. "Calm down, Melna. What is it?"   
  
Being the one sent to tell the news, she began to ramble quickly about the unexpected arrival. "My lord, Lady Arwen's horse...it is here!"   
  
Elladan and Elrohir, who were just walking in from the adjoining room, stopped dead in their tracks, praying the next words not to be.  
  
"I am sorry, my lords," She had noticed the two from the corner of her eye and now looked over at them. "Her horse has returned riderless."  
  
"What do you mean _riderless_?!" Exploded Elladan. Elrohir and Elrond were too stunned for words. "She wasn't with him at all?! Thalawen either?!"  
  
"I-I'm sorry, my lord, they were not." She repeated, a little startled by his outburst. "Perhaps you should come have a look."  
  
Melna lead them down into the courtyard, where two gates towered at the entrance into the city. And there in the middle, like she had said, was Asfaloth stepping uneasily on the stone walk as two other servants tried to hold him. They would have been able to calm him easily, but it was as if he were trying to tell them something and would not give up on it until they understood.  
  
Elrond dismissed them and the twins took over his reins, speaking softly to calm him down. He quieted, even as Elrond came closer, but soon recognized these as the people he needed to see, to tell them of the danger his master might be in.  
  
He gave a loud whinny, throwing his head back and forth.  
  
"What is it, boy?" Elrohir asked in a gentle tone, standing in front of him and trying hold his head still. "Where's Arwen and Thala, huh?"  
  
They inspected him over a few times, finding him not hurt, but something other than that that troubled all three of them much more. Everything was intact; the supplies the two had taken along and more importantly, both of their swords and Thalawen's bow and quiver. And if they knew them, neither would have gone without their weapons anywhere if they had had the choice of it.   
  
These days one needed to carry some sort of weapon on hand, because you never knew if your very life could depend on it.  
  
"Father," Began Elladan.  
  
"What does this mean?" Elrohir finished for his twin, dread lacing his usual cheery voice.    
  
Elrond didn't answer his sons right away. With this evidence right in front of him, he knew and could even feel that this journey the she-Elves had gone on had taken an ill turn. Asfaloth would never have come back unless either Arwen had sent him away, his master was taken from him, or was unable to come back to him. Any way that it might have been, it was obvious his daughters were in danger.   
_  
_He wished not to alarm the twins by coming out and saying this, but he knew they would think the same possibilities even if he didn't. And with the help of his oldest, he didn't have to.      
  
"They're in trouble again." Elladan could read their father's face plainly, confirming his fears.   
  
Elrohir grew achingly worried at these words. "Father, we must find them!"   
  
Elrond nodded, remembering the last time one of his children had set out to find another only five months before. "Yes, you may go." Giving in much faster than he had to Arwen.  
  
"Then we set out as soon as we can get ready, so that no time is wasted." Stated Elladan.  
  
They took Asfaloth with them, their sisters would be needing their things if they were found. _When _they were found. If it took the twins all way to Gondor or further, they would find them somehow.   
  
Their father sent another letter to their brother, telling him of the latest troubles. Most likely, he too along with Legolas would set out to find the she-Elves himself and Elrond prayed once again that his children and their friend would be safe.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Day after day, the constant swaying and rocking of the ship was beginning to annoy the three Elves aboard, who only wished to be on land again; to breath in the fresh air and to walk among the greenery and in the bright sun, moon and starlight.  
  
"Do you think this cell could get any darker?" complained Thalawen, an absolute lover of light.   
  
Arwen mentally laughed as she thought of Thalawen's home in Rivendell. If it were not a handed down house from her grandmother, Thalawen would have built her house out of glass, or quite possibly pitched a tent in the forest and simply called that her home.   
  
A stray hair had come loose from Landailyn's braid and she absently tried to blow it away. Since blood had dried in the corner of her mouth, this made it all the more difficult to do. Harder and harder the air rushed from her mouth to no avail. Finally, frustration overcame the otherwise docile Elf. "UGH! This blasted hair will not leave me alone!" She breathed a sigh and looked to her friends, who were staring rather oddly at her little one-Elf-show. "What?"  
  
Thalawen and Arwen were in the middle of suppressing giggles, when a pair of guards appeared in the cell for the first time that day and immediately advanced on Landailyn's vulnerable form. She however, immediately tensed and flinched at their touch as they unshackled her irritated wrists, only to bind them again without her even fighting. She knew now it was useless after so many times.  
  
"Where are you taking her again?!" Demanded the taller of the women across the room. They were both growing worried, this had been going on too long and if asked Landailyn would tell little of what went on when she was taken.   
  
"The captain requires her presence once more. And you would do good to hold your tongue, unless you would like to join her."  
  
She and Arwen watched after the group open mouthed. Landailyn gave them a last look, one that read of knowing what was surely to come, but it also told them not to worry. Then she was shoved out into the hall and the door slammed shut.  
  
"No!"  
  
She could hear Thalawen's fading objections, as she was led further and further away from her friends.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
  
  
The king readied his pack with only the items he absolutely needed for this trip. He had received another letter late in the day before. Again it was from his father, now telling him of ill news that something might have happened to Arwen and Thalawen and his two brothers had set on the she-Elves' path to find out exactly what.  
  
But Aragorn was perhaps the best when it came to tracking anything and if he knew where they had last been with Asfaloth, he would surely find the way they had gone from there.  
  
Soon his concentration was broken, when the voice of Legolas filled the room. "Shall we go, my friend?" He asked softly.  
  
The Ranger looked up to see him in the doorway, then nodded and took up the packed bag across his shoulder, his weapons already on him.  
  
Aragorn gave a few last minute orders to Faramir, while the other six members of the Fellowship that were remaining at the palace, came to see them off. From that day on they made as much haste as possible on Arod and Brego directly northward, following the Anduin, as the message told that was what the two sisters had planned to do.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
The captain's cabin creaked with the motion of the boat; every swell and wave rocked the ship harder. Outside lightning flashed, thunder cracked and the wind howled. Soon a thin sheet of cold rain fell to sting the crew's skin like tiny pellets of ice.  
  
Landailyn had been locked into the single room with Faeroth. A ruthless and unforgiving man, he hated the Firstborn.  
  
He'd already demonstrated his dislike in her, by slapping her repeatedly for various things she'd either done or did not do, or perhaps for nothing at all. Leaving bruises on her perfect skin, the black and blue circles marring the white porcelain color.  
  
A new mark from the day before surrounded her eye, when she'd spit in his face at a further refusal to become his slave. This had been going on since the third day. Everyday he would ask her the same and everyday she gave him the same answer. She wondered to herself why this man wouldn't give up, because she was never going to give in.  
  
"You are already my slave, woman. The minute you were brought into my keeping you became my property." His hard calloused hand reached up to touch her smooth face, tracing her eyebrow down to her chin. Too rough to be called a caress. "It would be easier for you and less tedious for me if you just submitted to me now and acknowledged me as your master." Raising her face with his forefinger, he looked her straight in the eye. "Agreed? This is the last time I will ask. What be your answer, pray tell?" He said, a slight grin across his face.  
  
Her answer was spat into his eye, much like before. "How is that for an answer?" She asked in defiance.  
  
Faeroth wiped his eye and stared at her. He didn't know too much about Elves, but very stubborn they all obviously were. "Did you find that amusing?"  
  
She said nothing, so his hand crossed her face.  
  
He sighed in exasperation and opening his door, called for the two guards that had brought her in. They came without a word. One moved her hair out of the way, while the other brought out a devilish looking black whip, the very one that had caught her in her escape the day they were captured, and he put it into Faeroth's hand. The two held her firmly in place and they began.  
  
The beating seemed to go on for an eternity, but she had yet to make much of a sound, she would not let her captors have what they enjoyed and wanted most. Pain began to fog her entire mind, quickly reminding her that she had only brought it upon herself, although still refusing to let them know the greatness of it that she felt. Though she was sure they could read clearly the involuntary expressions and flinches more frequently given, as her strength to do so was rapidly running out.  
  
They could torture her all they liked from now until the end of the age and the next, but she would never give in and serve them in any way. Never.  
  
It grew nearly unbearable, until they ceased the lashings and the guards shoved her onto her side onto the hard wooden floor, cutting loose her bonds. One of the men gave a final kick to the rib cage's lowest spot, thankfully she heard no cracks to indicate that anything there had broken, though it certainly felt like it. The two walked off laughing, leaving she and their captain alone once more.  
  
Landailyn rolled the rest of the way onto her stomach and lay in stillness, eyes unfocused, not daring to move further for all the pain they had caused would only increase.   
  
Faeroth threw aside the whip and walked toward her menacingly. He reached down and grabbed her by the hand, wrenching it backward violently. Such a swift strong action dislocated her shoulder and broke her slender wrist. This time she heard the cracks to prove it.  
  
That had done it and she couldn't help but let him know it.   
  
She felt his other arm rest heavily across her shoulder blades, pinning her down and upsetting her already painful welts. Then she heard his voice so close to her ear, its sound hurt. "And if that doesn't teach ya, I don't know what will. Guess I'll have to leave that to _my_ master."  
  
  
**TBC ...**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
  
**Alone and waiting, Thalawen and Arwen sat staring at the wooden walls of their cell. At the moment, neither moved, neither said a word.  
  
Then, as if on que, Thalawen opened her mouth to say that she wondered what was taking so long, when she was instead interrupted by a cry that ripped through each darkened deck of the large vessel. Filled with only that of high distress.  
  
Thalawen pierced the door with narrowed eyes. Anger filled her and it showed by the noisy pulling of her chains. So that was what they were doing to her this time. Landailyn wouldn't just be returning with the simple bruises she usually did, today she would be in worse shape. Well, she knew exactly what the Elf was going through and knew she did not deserve it, just like she hadn't.  
  
They listened helplessly for only a few seconds, until the sound stopped entirely. Arwen gasped at the abrupt silence. Though they didn't know it, together they silently prayed it didn't mean what they thought it only could.  
  
"They come." Thalawen's words penetrated her thoughts, after a few minutes.  
  
In the next few seconds, the door was unlocked and swung open with a loud squeaking. The same two stout figures of the guards carried in the much more slender form, throwing it on the boarded floor and re-chaining it to a far wall. Then retreating and locking the room, all the while snickering and mumbling between themselves.  
  
"Landailyn?" Whispered Arwen, switching to Elvish and soothing words for perhaps a little comfort. "My friend, it is well, Thala and I are here."  
  
Through what little light that came through the boards of the ship they could see her head rise, then nod, but she did not look at them.   
  
Now she knew what it was Thalawen had gone through only months before. This was the third and worst beating she had ever recieved in her prolonged lifetime and this was counting the little fixes she, Legolas, and Aragorn had gone through years ago.  
  
"Landy, I'm sorry this...had to happen..." This came hard for Thalawen to say and realized it was the second time she was apologizing to the Elf over being injured. She had wanted her new friend to come with them to Gondor, but didn't think they would end up where they were now and had been for going on ten days.  
  
"No," Landailyn's voice cut in before she could say more, whispering so low that no mortal could have understood. "You should not have been the first time either. I'm just glad...they did not find that you are also Elves."  
  
Arwen tried to hold back tears. It was like deja vu. So, was it this time that she would lose a friend? Or the next? But she prayed hard to the Valar that there would never be a next time.  
  
The Wood-Elf said no more, her head slumped in unconsciousness, though the two continued to watch after her.  
  
"What are we going to do, Thala?"  
  
For once she had no real answer. "I don't know." What she did know was that they must escape. But how? And when? Landailyn must be better first, but if Faeroth continued like he did with her, Thalawen feared they might never make it out with her at their side. Saying, she and Arwen ever made it out themselves. "Don't cry, it'll be okay." She tried to soothe, hearing a small shudder come from the Elf nearest her.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Much later in the night, the Elf awoke from a fearful dream to pain and aching and truly wished she had not awoken at all. Memories of a past injury on the same shoulder arose its panging and she knew what needed to be done.  
  
In half consciousness, she tugged at the chains of her left arm. She was mostly coherent, but mumbled in broken Elvish. Thalawen looked up at the noise, to see what was going on.  
  
"Landailyn?" Arwen had noticed her too. "What's wrong?"  
  
She sighed and let her arm hang limp. "My right shoulder and wrist."  
  
"What about them?" The princess continued slowly, undoubtedly having the feeling that the answer to her question was not going to be good news.  
  
"They need to be set...he dislocated the shoulder...and broke the wrist."  
  
Two things they could not have noticed before.  
  
In alarm, Arwen looked over at her older sister in an obvious question of help. Thalawen knew what this meant from her adopted father's lessons in health and medicine, just as well as Arwen and apparently Landailyn did, but had no idea what to do about it.   
  
They needed to get to her, but it was obvious they could not, being contained themselves as she was. They weren't even sure how long it had been now that she had been brought back to the cell.  
  
"If they are not set soon...there may be permanent damage." The princess whispered in a very low voice, not sure if Landailyn had understood her and hoping she hadn't. "Landailyn?"  
  
At her name, the Silvan Elf made an undistinguished noise that she was listening.  
  
It was still Arwen's voice speaking softly. "I do not know of any other way to do this...but your setting must wait until they bring food in the morning. Do you think...you have that long?"  
  
Landailyn thought a moment through the cloudiness in her mind. "I think so." Trying desperately to also think how many hours that would be.  
  
"Alright, then get your rest. You shall need it."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
  
  
"Are you sure we're on the right track?" Asked the youngest of Elrond's twins, for the tenth time at least.  
  
"Yes, dear brother. Arwen said herself that they were heading by way of the Anduin. And I do believe we're almost there, I can just hear its fierce current."  
  
Elrohir nodded and the two went on riding, keeping their horses and Asfaloth's paces quickened. They had been in the Gladden Fields some time now and were indeed about to come upon the eastern shore of the Great River. From there, they would follow it to find more clues as to what was keeping their sisters from reaching the White City.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, they stood on the bank of the wide riverbed. And for nearly an hour, they searched its surroundings for any signs of what might have gone wrong with the she-Elves' trip, Elladan going as far as a small wood nearby. "Elrohir? Elrohir, have you found anything?" He called as he walked through it among the sparse somber trunks.  
  
"Not a thing!" His brother called back, from somewhere to the right. "You?"  
  
"No..." His voice trailing off as he looked up from the piling leaves around him. Several bodies lay within the closed area. From where he stood he checked them over, finding they were all Human men, dead either by arrows or wounds from a blade.  
  
As his eyes browsed the ground for further clues, they alighted upon an object that almost blended in with the forest's floor and that much resembled leather. And as he neared it, he found that in fact it was leather, a dark leather, with gold adorning it in various places. Beside it, lay another object, longer and thinner, but of the same color.  
  
"Elladan?" Elrohir wondered why his brother hadn't answered and appeared beside his squatting figure, having to step over one of the bodies. "Oh...wow. Hey, what's...?" He pointed to what it was Elladan was reaching for. As the twin picked it up, the two realized what exactly it was and more importantly _whose_ it was. "You don't suppose it's...?"  
  
"Landailyn's." Finished Elladan quietly. "Who else? No one but she and Legolas carry weapons exactly like these and the Fellowship did not travel this way, so they are not his." He was right, but one thing he didn't know, was that Legolas no longer carried a bow and quiver like these, since his gifts from Lothlorien.  
  
Elrohir was forced to agree as they examined the quiver further, noting the straps had been sliced through and one of the knives was not in its sheath. "Well then, I'm guessing whatever has become of our sisters, she was caught up in it."  
  
Elladan nodded. "Indeed, and now we have _three _missing she-Elves on our hands." He rose, clutching the quiver and bow and trying to figure out where the other knife could have gone. Elrohir joined in on the search and together they finally found it, not far behind from where the tree line had started, then collected the rest of her arrows to cleanse them of blood later.  
  
The brothers combed the ground a little more for anything they might have missed. They found tracks, that could only be of a horse. Perhaps they were Asfaloth's, they would never be able to tell for sure. But fortunately, the trail of the Human prints were pointed southward and not straying from the river bank.  
  
With this evidence, they knew they had to be on the right track now.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
The hours passed seeming to never end. Slow and tedious, holding no sleep for two particular Elves. But their wait had ended at dawn and their food finally came.  
  
As soon as their chains clanked to the floor and the guards had gone, they were at Landailyn's side to catch her form from falling onto her bad shoulder, sitting her up straight and being wary of her injuries.  
  
"Thala, you are going have to hold her back while I do this."  
  
Thalawen nodded and placed a hand against the Elf's left shoulder, pressing it to the wall. The other hand going across to her right one, though more up on her neck, away from the dislocation.  
  
Arwen took the arm gently and put it into position. "Landy, are you ready?" A nod was all she needed and without further warning, quickly tugged outward, popping the bones back into their rightful place.  
  
Landailyn cried out at the new pain and as expected tried to lean forward, where Thalawen's part then came in to stop her. She was strong yet, but Thalawen managed to restrain her successfully.  
  
The pain was intense and was worse than it should have been after being left up in a shackle all night, which also didn't help her broken wrist.  
  
With that done, Arwen could hear the Elf's hitched breathing and tried to soothe her in Elvish once more, taking her limp arm into her hands and gently removing her vambrace, feeling for the break and unfortunately finding more than one.  
  
An idea struck her mind and Thalawen watched curiously as her sister ripped a long piece off the bottom of her cloak and wrapped the wide band tightly around Landailyn's wrist several times. Then again tearing a longer piece and making a sling for her arm. "There are three breaks in your wrist, but I hope this helps." She whispered.  
  
"Many thanks." Landailyn sighed, head resting back against the wall, eyes closed.  
  
Arwen smiled up at her. "It was nothing. Eat, and I will take a look at those lashings I caught a glimpse of on your back and then you must get more rest."  
  
"I do not feel like food."  
  
"Landailyn, please...for me."   
  
"Better listen to her, Landy. I for one do not want to have to listen to her, being rather stuck in here with her and all." Thalawen joked, smiling devilishly up at Arwen, who glared playfully back.  
  
Landailyn watched the exchange, smiling as much as her sore throbbing wounds would allow. "Alright...for both of you, my friends."  
  
Together they helped Landailyn move away from the wall, so that Arwen could work on the thin gashes the whip had produced, using more cloth from her cloak and a little of the water brought for drinking.  
  
Meanwhile, Thalawen had picked up their edibles and brought them over, giving Landailyn and Arwen theirs. Almost carefully, she sniffed at her food, scrunching her nose at its smell. "Not exactly something I would normally choose, but..." She shrugged and bit into the luke warm meat of the fish, making a bit of a face as she chewed it slowly.  
  
Landailyn chuckled. She didn't care for it either, but given the circumstances, it was all they had. So one had to take what was given without too much complaint. For it was surprising they were allowed food as often as it was offered to them, which was every other day.  
  
"Honestly, I would much prefer a glass of wine, maybe a little smoked salmon, possibly a square of bread, and a block of cheese, to soak up the drink." She sighed into the food at the mere image in her mind. "Sounds good, doesn't it?" she asked as she looked over to her friends.  
  
The sisters each had a look of distaste on their faces, but Landailyn couldn't tell whether this was caused by the food or her mind's eye's wish of food. "Yeah...sounds great. But don't talk about _good_ food right now. It will make me feel like complaining," said Thalawen.  
  
Arwen laughed at that and thought, _"As if she hasn't been already_._"_**  
  
  
TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
  
**_Notes from the authors ..._**  
  
mirkwood-elf-2931 :   
**What are you doing to my character, Thala?! (_and_ my computer!) *sigh* Well, I guess the only explanation is that Landailyn has been around Thalawen a little too long now and some of her traits have rubbed off!   
Also, sorry if we're making this too funny in such a 'dramatic time' for the characters...but we can just imagine ourselves sitting in a cell bored out of minds and all of this is funny to us the way we discuss it and we thought our readers might like it!   
To answer Sarah's question about Faeroth's master...well I'll go ahead and tell you all that we have no idea _who_ he actually is! LOL We're not gonna make his character an 'important' one, he's just someone that gets mentioned a few times! Sorry! :)  
Anyways, we have no idea how many chapters are left at this point...but I think I can say that its quite far from the end. Thanks so much to our reviewers once again! Everyone's comments are really keeping us going with this!  
**  
Thala :  
**Okay, now that I have fixed everything that I just BROKE! (sitting down to mirkwood-elf's computer I dropped the mouse, slammed the keyboard, and minimized the window somehow!)   
Anyways, we won't get chapter six posted for a little while. Mainly because I am busy with school, but also because we are going to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival tomorrow. LOL! We're going in full costume! After spending so many hours, days, weeks, possibly months, making these dresses, we finally get to wear them. Pictures of us will be posted on mirkwood-elf's website, so go and see them sometime within this next week!   
Oh ya, and sorry about Landailyn's little outbursts and stuff! That was my doing on this chapter and the last! Muahaha! But you probably won't see anymore of it. Usually mirkwood-elf writes her own character and I write mine, but at times we have writer's block and we write for each other!


	6. Chapter 6

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
**  
The same morning that the sisters had cared for their friend and all three had been satisfied with their share of food and drink, four of the ship's crew came to re-shackle the three and collect the food bowls and water bucket.  
  
"Please," Arwen protested on the 'Elf's' behalf, once they had figured out they weren't there to take her away again. These were different men and they weren't sure what to make of her arm being fixed in a sling. "Her arm cannot take any strain right now."  
  
"But the captain's orders are to..." Started one.  
  
"What is the difference whether you chain one arm or both?! She still wouldn't be able to go anywhere even if the other was usable!" Thalawen cut in angrily.  
  
Finally, they saw reason and gave in to the women's request, chaining only one of the Elf's arms and gathering the containers. When they'd gone, Landailyn rested the side of her head against her upper left arm. "Thank you." She sighed.  
  
The two nodded.  
  
"I honestly hope those four come back soon," said Thalawen after sizing the sailors, eyeing them while they'd been in the room. She sniffed her nose superiorly. "I think we could take 'em." She smiled, happy to see a grin on her friends' faces again.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
That night boredom had fully set in for all three of the Elves, literally throwing their attention spans out the figurative window. Arwen stared into space, obviously deep in thought or possibly sleeping. As Elves sleep with their eyes open, Thalawen couldn't tell the difference. Landailyn hung to the wall opposite them in the same open eyed trance, but the slightest movement of her eyes told Thalawen that she was clearly awake, and thinking long and hard.  
  
Landailyn softly spoke to Thalawen, trying to keep her voice quiet so as not to wake the sleeping princess. "We must escape, Thala," her voice was little more than a croak.  
  
"I know, but how? The only time we are ever out of these manacles is when they bring..." Thalawen trailed as the light dawned. "Food! We must wait for them to bring the food and then we can...no, that won't work. They all have weapons and we have nothing."  
  
"We have fists, Thalawen," said Landailyn quietly.  
  
Thalawen paused for a moment in thought. "Oh, yeah, right. Okay."  
  
"There is something that you both must promise me first though," said Landailyn as Arwen finally woke from her light nap.  
  
Neither said anything, waiting for her to continue and wondering to themselves what it could possibly be.  
  
"You will think only of yourselves and each other...before me."  
  
"What? Landailyn, no!" Arwen couldn't believe what she was hearing, knowing right away the two must have been discussing an escape. They couldn't just leave her behind if they had a choice. She didn't want Landailyn to be the 'big hero' and help them escape if she did not even plan to get out herself.  
  
"Arwen, you have to! They must not find out your secret! And they never will if I am there to help it! That is why we must try and escape now and you will go on to Gondor or back home...even if it is without me."  
  
"She_ is _right, you know."  
  
Arwen's mouth dropped open, as she graced Thalawen with a hard stare. "You're actually agreeing to this?!"  
  
"Not exactly, I just know that I would do the same, and so, the same goes for me. At least one of us must escape."  
  
"Thalawen!"  
  
"Arwen!" She mocked, as she always did when her sister used her name in frustration.  
  
The princess sighed. "Fine. Then neither of you can think of me either!"  
  
"Fine." Thalawen turned her head, as an uncontrollable smile crept upon her face.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Suddenly, a small laugh could be heard on Landailyn's side of the room.  
  
"What are _you_ laughing at?! You started this!" Arwen's wailing only made Landailyn laugh harder and her laughter slowly grew contagious. To their surprise, Thalawen was laughing too. And Arwen never could stay mad at anyone for long and finally joined in.  
  
"So now we are just suppose to worry about ourselves?" Landailyn questioned, still chuckling.  
  
"Not me. I will always put you two before myself." Arwen admitted quietly.  
  
"See!" She exclaimed. "That is how _I_ feel! So I still mean what I said and I will not take it back."  
  
"And neither will I," Confessed Thalawen.  
  
Arwen nodded, but said nothing. Further thinking on the subject to herself, wondering how the next couple days would turn out. Would the second one end with all three actually escaped together?  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
The next day brought much relief to all of them, when neither of the usual two guards came for the blonde Elf.  
  
Faeroth must have given up for a while, thought Landailyn wearily and thankfully.  
  
Once they were all awake enough, they began quietly discussing a successful escape. Afterward, they thought they had come up with a fairly good plan, now they just hoped nothing would go wrong. Their planning consisted of Thalawen's earlier suggestion; waiting for the next time food was brought in and they were unchained. Only then would they be able to take action and catch the men off guard, after Landailyn's assurance that she would be doing better.  
  
Even if she felt as though she might not be by the next day, Landailyn was more than ready to get off the vessel and away from its captain.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
  
mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Sorry this chapter was so short! But it's better than nothing, eh? Well, we're glad people are liking the humor we've put into this sequel! And thanks to those who said in their reviews to have fun at the festival! We had a great time and we just got the pics back today, so I scanned a couple and they'll be up on my site for those who wanted to see our dresses, as soon as I can get the page builder to load right again! The link will be on the front page!   
By the way, Thala is finding time from school stuff to come over awhile one day this weekend (probably Saturday) and we're gonna have possibly up to chapter 9 or more for you all! I just know how much that's gonna make you guys happy, cuz' obviously we're killing you all with the suspense! ;) But don't expect it to be over too soon, it's got even more after we escape! Or do we escape? LOL! 


	7. Chapter 7

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
  
**Gaining the beginnings of the Wold of Rohan, the twins had yet to find more signs of their sisters and friend. The Human tracks had stopped long ago when they were nearing Lothlorien, they had simply faded out, still pointing southward. It was as if the three they tracked had disappeared out of Middle-earth altogether. At least they had disappeared off their original course anyway. But Arwen had said they would not stray from the Anduin, for it followed all the way down to their destination, Minas Tirith.   
  
Today, the brothers went farther inland to see if any of the tracks had continued. Far enough west for their taste, they went straight south. The heat of the high noon sun beat down on their fair forms as the two watched the ground for what seemed like nothing at all. Not a footprint one.  
  
But when one finally did see something, it did not come from the ground below. "Hey, are you seeing what I'm seeing at the top of that hill?" Elrohir pointed, and grinned over from the five foot gap between he and his older sibling.  
  
Elladan took on a better look through the length of land. A pair of steeds, one brown, one white, walked down the steep slope at their own pace. But it was their riders atop that concerned his gaze. "It's Estel and Legolas!" He cried and both sped up their horses from a canter to a full gallop. "Estel!"  
  
Aragorn and Legolas smiled to themselves as the three white horses ahead, two carrying dark haired figures, picked up their speed.  
  
"Fancy meeting you two here!" Called a familiar voice the two could identify as Elladan's.  
  
"Father was right when he said you would be out looking too!" Elrohir joined in, as the four dismounted together and greeted one another with quick hugs.  
  
"It is so good to see you." Aragorn laughed, pulling away from his youngest brother. It had been seven months now since they'd all left their homes for the quest, and all of them now longed to be back where things felt safe and familiar.  
  
"Aye, brother, but have either of you found _any_ trace of our absent she-Elves?" Elrohir's previous silent wonderings became words flowing from his mouth.  
  
"Nothing so far..." The Ranger currently checked their open location to see if it was indeed safe to stop here. One never knew when something unwanted could show up or sneak up for that matter.  
_  
_"Well _we_ have searched day and night since the Gladden Fields and have found nothing since then." Elladan reported wearily, letting out a long not so quiet sigh.  
  
"Since then?" Aragorn was suddenly at full attention, no longer did he view their surroundings carefully. "What did you find there?"   
  
Elrohir hung his head as his older brother moved toward Asfaloth to bring back the items they'd recovered. He knew what his younger brother and friend's reactions would be.  
  
"These." Elladan held them up for pair to see.  
  
Legolas' eyes widened at the sight of the weapons his new guard captain had been given by he and his father. "Those are..." He couldn't finish, but they all knew who they belonged to. How could this be? He remembered what happened the last time the three females were together, could Saruman be the cause again? He would have suggested this, but the twin's next words made him doubt the thought.  
  
"We found them there in a woodland next to the Great River with many bodies in the area; Human men dead by both of her weapons. Whatever it was that happened there, Arwen and Thala must have been with her or at least near there at the time. Maybe Father sent news to Lord Thranduil of your first message and Landailyn decided to come visit you as well."  
  
Aragorn nodded at the information, looking at one brother, then the other and lastly over at Legolas. "We will find them." He tried to sound confident and make the blow of the discovery that yet another of them was missing, easier for his friend as much as for himself.  
  
"We should start heading back toward the river." Elladan suggested, as he remounted the items on Asfaloth, then himself on his own horse. "Maybe back track a little also."   
  
The four travelled their path mostly in silence. They wished they could be sure of Aragorn's last statement, but nothing ever seemed for certain anymore.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Morning had come again. Dust filled sun rays crept through the tiny cracks in the boards surrounding the Elves' cell. The twelfth and final day they would be aboard the black corsair ship. They hoped.   
  
Presently, they were listening carefully. It was sunrise, they knew the food would be brought in soon. They heard heavy footsteps striding in their direction and the clicking of the lock in the door soon came to each pair of pointed ears. This was it.  
  
"Ready?" Thalawen asked, so low they knew the men would not have been able to hear.   
  
Her companions barely nodded, and Landailyn pretended to still be weak for show.  
  
Two of the men who had prepared the food came in and unchained them one by one, setting down what little food and water they were allowed. A third followed, but he was one of the guards, and he stood in the middle with a drawn sword, looking quite a bit younger than the rest they'd seen aboard the ship.  
  
But as soon as the 'cooks' turned to leave, as fast and as hard as they could, Thalawen and Landailyn dropped their provisions and punched the two men in the jaw and elbowed them between the top of the shoulder blades, knocking both unconscious. The third was nearly knocked down by their staggering bodies as they fell backward and onto the hard hollow floor with a loud thud. Startled entirely by the thought of the prisoners turning on them, especially the 'dangerous Elf'; he ran for the door, disappearing to the left.   
  
The Elves' eyes widened. They hadn't expected any to just take off without a fight. They looked back down at the other two, but each one was unarmed.    
  
Even Arwen could have cursed very loudly at the moment, at seeing no weapons for them. "What now?!" She wanted to know now how it was they planned to do this without the aid of a weapon against a large boat full of men.  
  
They had no choice but to run for it. The guard would be telling the others any minute and would soon be back with a whole herd. They needed to hurry.   
  
"Think you can run, Landy? I have a feeling we're going to be doing a lot of it soon." Said Thalawen, brows raised in urgent question.   
  
Landailyn glanced between the two and nodded.  
  
"I mean, fast. And we'll most likely have to jump if we're not docked, I never can tell when we are." If this was so, they would need to help Landailyn in the swift currents of the water. She could swim just fine, but not with an arm she wasn't suppose to be moving.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm all up for it." She said, slipping off her temporary sling as her arm didn't hurt anymore after having a two day rest from being hung above her. Besides, it seemed to throw her off balance a little and she couldn't have that while running for her life.  
  
Thalawen smiled slightly. "Good. Let's get out of here." She went first, followed by Arwen and Landailyn at the last.   
  
The three listened carefully to the voices and noises coming from above and located the opening in the ceiling, which had been left wide open, much like their cell door.   
  
Thalawen crept up the six steps in the narrow staircase and slowly peered over the top. The deck was practically deserted. She could see the land not thirty feet away and it wasn't moving, so they were indeed docked and that meant that most of the men were out either hunting, or looking for more prisoners.   
  
"We're docked," She whispered behind her. "And I see the plank...we make for that."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
  
  
"They've what?!" Bellowed Faeroth.   
  
The young guard cringed as his captain gritted his teeth and turned a light shade of red from his anger. The boy would have to be dealt with later.   
  
Faeroth stormed passed him from his cabin, his exit bringing him a sight at which his level of rage grew even higher.   
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*   
              
  
"Follow me!" Thalawen burst from their 'hiding spot' tearing for the long wide board that served as a ramp for boarding and leaving the ship at stops. The three ran swift as the wind all in a line, keeping close together one right after the other, their booted feet making little sound against the wooden flooring.   
  
A blur they seemed to the men who turned in time to see them pass.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Faeroth squinted against the bright morning sun, stepping from his doorway slowly and moving down the long staircase that led to the captain's quarters. They wanted to escape? Then he would give them a little head start.  
  
"Let them go," He called out to those who had begun moving to chase after the escapees. They gave him odd misunderstanding stares, but he did not show that he noticed them, instead assured them verbally. "We will catch up."   
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
              
_  
_So far they had done it. They kept their run as fast as they had started out, never slowing or halting. Half a league later though, they finally did stop, for Landailyn's sake.   
  
"Do you think they're close?" Arwen asked, as all three listened for any followers. Landailyn trying to quiet her breathing, so they could better hear. But still they heard nothing. "Are you okay?" She continued, directing it toward the blonde Elf.    
  
Landailyn closed her eyes, before nodding.   
  
"Well," Thalawen rested a gentle hand upon Landailyn's uninjured shoulder. "You're still with us."  
  
"Yes," Put in the princess. "And you shall _stay_ with us."  
  
If this was to be true none of the three knew at this moment, but the sound that next drifted within their hearing was. Each one looked to their right where the distant noise was coming from, which was east, then back at each other.   
  
Thalawen frowned. "We must run again."  
  
  
**TBC ...**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 8**_  
  
  
_"I want them found immediately and brought to me alive!" Faeroth barked to his few remaining crew members, as they ran passed him down the gangplank for the shore. "If it cannot be helped, then do what is necessary!" Following the last man out, he would find them himself if he had to. He would never live down the shame if an Elf got the better of him. A she-Elf nonetheless.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*_  
  
  
_"There!" Arwen pointed.   
  
They had run nearly another half a league, where they came upon a rocky cliff to their left, so they redirected their course. It appeared small, so her companions figured what the princess had, that maybe it wasn't too far down on the other side. Being Elves and more agile, it would buy them a little time, for the men after them would most likely not be able to get down it as fast.   
  
Up a long path they dashed and half climbed at first, to reach the summit without slackening their pace. Thalawen gained the top, still in the lead and kept on going to the other side. But when she got there, she stopped only out of horror.   
  
It was a _long_ way down.   
  
They had come to a tributary in the Great River that flowed all the way from the Misty Mountains through Fangorn. The River Limlight it was called, met up with the Anduin and marked the beginning of the Wold in eastern Rohan. They realized now, this was the last time they were to be docked for a long while, for the banks of the Anduin itself rose high, like cliff faces and turned into a deep canyon.   
  
They were at a dead end and their captors were not far behind.   
  
Arwen, then finally Landailyn came to stand beside her. Looking down, all one could see was the Anduin and the Limlight connecting and around them an ocean of green, gray and brown. Trees, rocks and the banks of the rivers stretched as far and wide as the Human or even Elven eye could see.   
              
Arwen gasped at the mistake. "Sorry," She winced, being the one to have led them up there in the first place.   
  
One of the two would have said it wasn't her fault, that they themselves had thought the same thing, but at that moment they heard heavy footsteps and knew this was it. The three had nowhere to go. They had escaped for naught, but probably another beating when they were taken back to the ship.  
  
Each one turned to face their fates and expected a large group of the corsairs to appear, but who else should it be, but Faeroth and he was completely alone.  
  
The entire time they had been on the boat neither of the Half-Elves had even met the captain, but the slight fear in Landailyn's eyes told them this must be the man who had everyday sent for her only to treat her with no kindness.  
  
He stood where the steep path and level top of the cliff met, shaking his head. "Think you could get away, did you? I don't think I've ever had any other prisoners quite like this little trio. So determined, so...aggressive. Especially you," He looked straight at Landailyn, who had composed herself and merely narrowed her glaring eyes.  
  
"Well what did you expect?" Sneered Thalawen. "That we would just give in?" Now that she had gained the knowledge that this was definitely the captain, she wished she had her weapons now more than ever to show him no mercy for what he had done.  
  
"Others have." He simply replied with a wicked smile to adorn his tanned face.   
  
"Well, apparently we are not like them in any way and never will be! So why do you not just let us go instead of going through all this trouble?" Put in Landailyn caustically, stepping in front of the believed 'Human women' and on past to the west side of the cliff, secretly getting a glance of how far down it was from there. Finding that it was certainly not nearly as far as the south side, sloping and rounding to meet with the ground level they had just come from.   
  
"You still have not learned?! Did I not teach you anything, Elf?!" Ever so slowly, Faeroth was walking toward her, taking her bait. This is exactly what she wanted him to do, to bring his attention off of her friends.   
  
Landailyn said nothing, but backed up and looked behind herself, checking on what footing they had left.   
  
"Fine, I'll make you a deal." He offered. "Give up now and I might go easier on you."   
  
Might? What kind of a deal was that? Defiance blazed in her carefully watching eyes. "Never."   
  
He nodded and stopped, sliding his sword from its scabbard. "Have it your own way."   
  
With no weapons of her own, Landailyn wasn't sure how she was going to do this, but she was certainly going to try her best for the sake of them all. Side stepping a thrust from the sword, she commanded her friends to leave, before anyone else should catch up. "Go! Run!" Not even knowing these had been Thalawen's exact words, when the Elf had indicated that she wanted Arwen to take Landailyn's unconscious self and get away from Orthanc.  
  
Faeroth tried to wound her again, this time a swing aimed higher. So this she simply ducked.  
  
Neither wanted to leave her, even in remembering their promised words to one another to save themselves. But they couldn't exactly help her either, Faeroth didn't have his back fully turned to them and they had about as much of a chance as she did without a weapon. But Landailyn's next words hit just the spot in Thalawen.   
  
"Leave! Take Arwen!"   
  
Thalawen snapped out of her paralysis and hastily grabbed the princess' arm to pull her away from the scene and down the way they had come. Arwen protested, but Thalawen would not have it. They made it all the way to the end of the path, until a new obstacle stood in their way.   
  
"Oh no, you're not goin' anywhere." A gruff voice accompanied a rough looking man, with a sword just like the one their captain was using against Landailyn. Many more men came to surround them, all with their weapons drawn. They had been instructed by their captain to wait for this moment.  
  
Still without a weapon, what could they do? Thalawen eyed them with an angry glare, as four freed their hands and came to bind the prisoners wrists behind them. Now their companion from Mirkwood was their only chance.  
  
During this, Landailyn still nimble and able, had evaded the deadly blade a numerous amount of times, all the while growing closer to the edge. And a few steps more would do it.   
  
Finally, she was able to get in a blow. With a side-kick at chest level, her foot connected with the flat of the metal and sent it soaring to the south side of the cliff.   
  
Faeroth stared at her a short moment. "Now you've done it." He whispered fiercely and rushed forward. She dodged a kick of his own, but the flying fist after that, came unexpected.   
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what she thought were her friends being led back up to the top.   
  
As it was then, she felt herself falling.   
  
_  
_*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Arwen and Thalawen witnessed their friend's fall in utter stillness, unable to move a muscle from the shocking scene.   
  
"Landy!" They screamed almost in unison, snapping out of it and trying to get to the brink. For a mere second breaking free from the five guards, only to be grabbed again by their bound hands and pulled back.   
  
Faeroth was near shock himself. He hadn't really meant for her to fall, though the thought had crossed his mind. He grew very tired and frustrated with this Elf, she was nothing but trouble and was setting them back from their date due with the prisoners collected for their lord's approval.   
  
He ran to look over the drop off. He squinted and leaned further for a better look, but still saw nothing. No trace of the she-Elf anywhere. But he was sure that no one could have survived such a high and free descent. Faeroth sighed, turning to his available men and gaining back his lost sword. "Let us go see if she lives. Take them back to the ship."   
  
In a daze, the two were led back to where they had begun; unbelieving that it had actually happened, that Landailyn had just risked her life once again and this time possibly for nothing at all.  
  
  
**TBC ...**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
  
**

After leaving the cliff top, Landailyn had landed harshly on a wide rock ledge, but it did not stop there.   
  
Off she rolled to its edge and when leaving it, her good hand found a small over hanging rock underneath and she hung on for as long as she could. It was the only thing keeping her from falling the rest of the way, but it was perfect, for it hid her from Faeroth's view. But when she heard the conversation above turn back to her, a slight feeling of panic began to rise.  
  
They were coming.  
  
Now what could she do? There was no way she could climb back up, not with her wrist in the shape it was, they would be at the bottom and see her before she could ever make it anyway. Apparently, the only way was down, as she'd fallen most of the way already.   
  
And to top things off, her grip was also slipping, the sharpness of the rock digging into her hand as it supported all her weight. Kicking her dangling legs, she tried to get footing on the face of the cliff, but her boots could get a hold of nothing. She needed to decide quickly.   
  
Obviously there was no real way to climb down, not even one handed, she had not the time for that anyhow. Her captors would be there any minute. She looked the direction she was going to head and took a deep breath.   
  
This was going to hurt.   
  
She let go, falling freely for a few seconds, only to hit the slope and roll and slide in the dirt the whole way. Luckily, there weren't many rocks and she finally came skidding to a halt face down at the bottom.   
  
Landailyn groaned, glad there was not a soul around to hear it. At least, she hoped there wasn't.  
  
Slowly, she tried her best to rise, flexing her limbs as she went and wishing she had her sling back on. Nothing seemed broken, except her still healing wrist of course, which screamed at her for being careless. Though in places here and there, there were cuts and more she knew would soon show bruises. Besides all that, she was merely just dusty and smudged with dirt.   
  
Propped up on an elbow, she shielded her eyes from the sun, footfalls and low voices were close, close enough to be just around the corner. A few seconds more time and they would see her. She tried to pick herself up as fast as possible and began to run northwest as if her life depended on it, which it might.   
  
On the way, thinking about Arwen and Thalawen and feeling guilty for leaving them. She would need a plan to rescue them soon; before their secret was found out.   
  
But how soon that would become possible to do, she could not foresee.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
The group of six marched into view of the cliff's bottom at last. They looked up and down the slope. Nothing. Not one could detect a trace of her. How could she have gotten away so quickly from a fall like that?   
  
"Elves." Faeroth muttered darkly. "Come!" He ordered aloud to the armed men. "We must track her down! Spread out! No telling which way she went!"   
  
They obeyed their captain and split up to go in three different directions.   
  
"I guarantee, you will not get away this time." Faeroth quietly promised his escaped prisoner.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
At a steady pace, she ran as fast and as long as she could. They had found her at last and did not give up their rain of arrows aimed to wound her. But one look behind to keep up with her pursuers before passing through a wall of thick bushes and SLAM, she ran right into something solid on the other side.  
  
She fell hard on her back to the ground. Moaning softly, as her injured arm and wrist received part of the impact, before squinting up to see what had stopped her._  
_  
"Landailyn?!" Exclaimed the twins, who'd only stumbled backward a mere few inches. She had run right into both of them.  
  
Shock filled her entirely for a split second at hearing those voices and seeing these faces, all so familiar to her. "We just keep running into one another, don't we?" She smiled faintly at those she identified as the new king and her prince.   
  
"Are you alright? What are you running from?" Aragorn asked, just as surprised as she and his brothers. He and Legolas helped her up, but there was no time to hear answers. Suddenly, a black arrow shaft flew through the bushes and buried itself into the bark of a trunk not three feet away from the group and then another marked even closer, flying straight between the two identical Elves.   
  
"Run! I don't know how many there are!" She hissed, insisting and waiting for the others to go in front of her. She would not let any of them be hurt by someone who was after only her. And if they were all caught, there might never be an opportunity of escape again.  
  
The five quickly darted into the wood on the other side of the clearing, going soundlessly except for the soft intended silent footfalls of the Dunadan.             
  
_  
_*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*_  
  
_  
"I think they're gone." Murmured Elladan, letting branches of a tall bush he was peering out from swing back into place. "So will you please explain now, what is going on? Have you seen our sisters?" Asked the anxious twin, wanting to know who she was running from and why. From the clues they had stumbled upon he knew they must be men, but who exactly _were_ these men?  
  
Out of breath again, even if this was rare with Elves, the current physical shape that Landailyn's body was in was not the best and caused her to be not so Elven-like. She nodded and took a last deep inhale, sitting down heavily upon the soft shaded grass.   
  
The rest stood in stillness, more than interested to hear what she had to say.   
  
"I was on my way to Rivendell, when I met up with Thala and Arwen on the High Pass," Trying to keep the explanation short and to the point.  
  
"So you _do_ know where they are!" Burst a twin. Aragorn elbowed Elladan, at the same time Elrohir smacked him in shoulder, warning him not to interrupt further. They didn't know how much time they had before they would need to make a break for it again, if at all.    
  
"Yes, Elladan, I do. They asked me to come with them to Minas Tirith." She silenced and turned her attention on Aragorn and Legolas. "I assume you knew they were coming?"   
  
"Father sent a letter by carrier hawk. And then a second that said they may be in trouble, so Legolas and I set out to look ourselves." Aragorn confirmed.  
  
She nodded and continued. "Well, we reached as far as the Gladden Fields before...before we were attacked by corsairs."   
  
Each Elf and the man's eyes widened, but none said a word and she continued with her story.   
  
"I was scouting and sensed an attack, so I whistled for Arwen and Thala to run, but they unfortunately captured us and we've been on their ship down the Anduin ever since. I guess their plans are to take us to Umbar to be enslaved. How many days ago that has been, I'm not quite sure," She paused again, taking another breath. "But today we found the chance to escape and that's why I'm running. Arwen and Thala have been recaptured, just after a fight between the captain and I, that allowed me to get away. This was about," She tried to recall how long she'd been running before and after the corsairs had caught up. "A quarter of an hour ago. He and his men have been chasing me since."   
  
"Are they alright?" Aragorn asked, seeing as how she appeared before him looking like she had instead spent this whole time with Orcs instead of his own race. Then again, he knew how pitiless this particular kind could be and that catching the Firstborn was most likely rare within their dealings.  
  
She nodded. "Do not worry, they don't even think we know one another, so they don't know they're Elves yet. They're hair and cloaks have hidden those traits...but that was a little different for I." Even if they thought the two not to be Elves, they still treated their Human prisoners badly and since these 'Humans' had tried to escape, she knew what was probably in store for them when they got back. Landaliyn feared greatly for their well being.  
  
"Well, _you_ do not look alright." Legolas spoke up for the first time, not able to get in a word before.   
  
She half smiled up at him. "Thanks," Came her semi sarcastic reply. "I'm fine. It's Arwen and Thala we should be worrying about. We must think of a plan." She stood only to waver a little from dizziness in her weakened state.   
  
Legolas stepped forward to balance her. "I thought you said you were fine?"   
  
Landailyn sighed. "I've been running, have I not?"   
  
"That doesn't matter. Sit." He forced her down again. "Aragorn, will you please?"   
  
"Of course." The king knelt beside her and began digging through the pack he had brought healing supplies in and starting with the cut on her forehead from colliding with the jagged verge of the rock ledge that she'd rolled off of.   
  
"We really don't have time for this."   
  
"Landy," Elrohir quickly put in and she almost smiled realizing he had used her given nickname from Thalawen. "You won't be any good to us or our sisters if you're unconscious or..." The unspoken word hung silently among the five. "Sorry."  
  
Landailyn sighed quietly, eyes in the distance. "It's okay, I know."  
  
The next ten minutes were spent with Aragorn bandaging the she-Elf, who was trying her hardest not to make any kind of sounds, expressions or flinches of pain, as the three Elven lords waited and watched it all. And at the same time were being on alert for Landailyn's former captors.   
  
"Almost done," Said the Dunadan. Then asked her something that was causing his mind to wander, as he looked over her injuries. "Did the captain do this too?" He gently dabbed at the fading criss-crossed slashes on her back and looked up to see the back of her head, as she slowly nodded.   
  
The man said no more as he carried on with his work. He wanted to make whoever this captain was pay, because Landailyn was a dear friend, but if he had laid a finger on his beloved Arwen or sister Thalawen, he would make him wish he had never come across these particular three. "There, finished." He finally said.  
  
Landailyn turned to face him. "Thank you, my friend."   
  
Aragorn nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze, thankful for her own sake that it was her left.  
  
"Well," She stood again, with Legolas eyeing her incase she needed help as before. She looked behind her and around, listening. "It appears we've lost them or they've given up. Which I can't see happening so easily, but as I said, we must come up with a plan quickly. The ship will be heading out again soon, _if_ they have given up on me. We may follow them, but from what we could tell it sailed fast and who knows when it will be before they stop again. So far they've left them alone, but I know not how long it will last before they find out they too are Elves."   
  
Then she stood silent, only now realizing. What was Faeroth going to tell her friends when he didn't bring her back? Most likely that she was dead, but would they believe him? She decided to say nothing to her new companions. And if they don't believe it, they're counting on me to come back for them and that's exactly what I'm...what _we're _going to do, she told herself.      
  
"Oh, here," Elladan said, as he and Elrohir moved to take dark colored objects off Asfaloth. "I believe these belong to you," She soon recognized them as her bow and quiver, her most important tangible possessions. "We found them in a wood within the Gladden Fields."  
  
"We fixed them too." Added Elrohir.  
  
She smiled. Ever since that night, she had been feeling a bit lost without them. "Many thanks." She said, but soon realized she could barely move her right arm and merely stared down at her belongings. She would hate admitting this, but it could not be helped if she did not want to further damage her body. "Could you set them down for the moment, please?" She motioned toward the ground. "My shoulder is too painful..."  
  
Surprised, the twins did as directed, propping them up against the base of a thick tree.   
  
Aragorn and Legolas both had taken note of the way she was acting, thinking it odd until now, and of a thick grayish cloth whose edges stuck out from the end of her vambrace. "It was dislocated, wasn't it? And your wrist?" Aragorn queried.  
  
"Broken. It's Arwen's cloak. She fixed it tightly, it should be alright."   
  
He nodded, but still wanted to take a look at it himself. "Let me see."   
  
Landailyn sighed again, but consented and took off the arm guard, smiling a little to herself.   
  
He lifted her arm slightly for her and unwrapped the cloth, gently pressing and feeling around, and even sliding up her tunic sleeve and checking farther down. "How many days ago did you get this?"  
  
"Two. In that time I got rest from the shackles we were in, but I keep landing on it, so I doubt it is even healing."  
  
Aragorn shook his head. "It does not feel like a break that's been healing, it feels broken in..."  
  
"Three places?" Finished Landailyn. "That's what Arwen said."   
  
The Human continued to shake his head. "Your wrist is, yes, but I feel another small break down here." He showed her about three inches down her forearm. "It hurts right...here," He poked a little harder than before at the area. "Doesn't it?"  
  
"It does, now that you've gone and handled it." She agreed and knew that it wasn't that Arwen had missed this vital part in examining her condition, she had just recently broken it and hadn't realized it yet.  
  
He chuckled, next checking her shoulder. But thankfully it was not dislocated again; it was healing, just slowly and rather painfully. "Try not to move either of them much. There could be permanent damage if your wrist is broken too long." He wisely advised, rewrapping Arwen's cloth and added extra bandage from his medical supplies to keep it straighter, then added more for her forearm.   
  
She nodded, carefully slipping everything back on and tightening her quiver strap with her left hand, then drawing a single knife with it and having Legolas put on her vambrace and re-tie its strings. "Thanks," It went to both of them, as Aragorn also finished tying together a new sling, putting it around her neck and easing her arm into it. "And I'm trying, believe me."  
  
"When we met up with Elladan and Elrohir I did not expect to find you had also gone missing, mellon nin."   
  
Almost taken aback, she returned the strong hug that Legolas had just pulled her into, careful and gentle with her injuries. "I certainly didn't expect to find _you_ here either. The twins perhaps, but you and Aragorn..." She shook her head. "By the way, congratulations, my lord." She referred to the Human, as he too pulled her into an embrace, glad she was alright now.  
  
Aragorn grinned. "Thank you."  
  
"Yes indeed, brother. We have been so caught up in this 'she-Elf problem' that we have forgotten to felicitate you on your becoming a king. How does it feel?" Elladan put an arm around the man's shoulder.  
  
"I guess in a way, I don't feel much different..."  
  
"Really? I thought it would. It certainly..."  
  
Clearing his throat, Elrohir interrupted his twin's next choice of words, whatever they would have been. "If you will excuse us then, we have two more importantpeople to rescue."  
  
"Right," Elladan nodded curtly, as Elrohir rolled his eyes. "Anyone have any ideas for a plan?"  
  
Landailyn looked up slowly from the ground she'd been staring at. "I do."  
  
  
**TBC ...**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 10**_  
  
  
_They searched a half hour more, until Faeroth called it off. They had not time to waste on her, but it didn't matter now anyway, perhaps it was good that she was gone, she had only caused them trouble from the day they had captured her.  
  
"We are to remain here a few more days." Faeroth spoke to a group of his men as they worked at various jobs on the main deck. They had already been set back a couple days from their required arrival, what were a few more? And figuring that the Elf just might come back for her new friends and when she did, he would be waiting.   
  
In the background, he could hear a faint whistling coming from one of the workers on another part of the ship.  
  
Whistling. Where did he last hear this? Finally the thought hit and anger flared within him. Of course. "Bring the other two to my cabin immediately!" He ordered to the two guards nearby, the ones that had helped with Landailyn and he stormed off toward his private quarters.  
  
The men who had caught Landailyn didn't think twice about the whistle they never bothered to tell their captain about. They had heard hoof beats in the distance and dismissed it as Landailyn either calling her horse or sending it away. Only it wasn't the Elf's horse, it belonged to another they still held against her will.  
  
Thalawen and Arwen were half dragged to the captain's chambers, going mostly without struggle. Faeroth looked over from his pacing, as the two were shoved in and forced onto their knees.  
  
"You little..." He stood before them, staring down with hatred in realization as to what they really were. With a single hand, he reached toward Thalawen's face. She tried to jerk away from the implying touch, but the guard behind her held her head firmly. Faeroth pulled back a handful of lengthy black strands, revealing his suspicions. Then did the same to Arwen.  
  
"Both of you Elves! You knew her all along, didn't you?! Why didn't I think of it before? And she whistled to you, didn't she?! I heard it, but at the time I didn't think anything of it! You weren't that far up the river from where we caught her! Just too worried about that trouble maker, I suppose." He shook his head. "Well, now that she's gone...you two will pay the price."  
  
What did this mean? Was Landailyn gone as in dead, or gone as in a successful escape?  
  
"No," Arwen whispered. She couldn't help but think of the possibilities to her questions she'd thought of only a few nights before. Had it come true now? Had she lost a friend? Perhaps it _was_ true, she and Thalawen both saw her fall. And if that hadn't done it, she didn't doubt that Faeroth finished her off himself, just so he wouldn't have to put up with her inability to comply anymore.  
  
"Yes, and this time, she won't be able to help you. She would have been a harder one to break anyway and most likely would never have done her work for trying to escape every chance she could get, only costing us more valuable time. Now," He began pacing in front of them again, looking over the two carefully. "Which one of you first..."  
  
"Me." Said Thalawen quickly. Of course protecting her sister as always, also thinking she might buy them some time so that Arwen was never touched, this was to say if Landailyn was even still alive. She knew she would come back for them and Thalawen prayed it was soon. She knew not how long it would be before they turned on Arwen.  
  
"So quick to volunteer? You_ have _been a bit of a menace, just like your friend 'Landy' was." He added, hoping to create more despair, only then would these Elves be easier to control and give in to serving them.  
  
Both Thalawen and Arwen tried not to show what they felt at that little word. _Was_. Though they still did not know if death had anything to do with it, not trusting a word that came out of this Human's mouth.  
  
The two guards that had been ordered to bring them in came to take Thalawen's riding coat off. Underneath, they found she wore a warrior outfit much like their escaped Elf, only in dark shades of brown instead of green.   
  
"Don't, Thala..." Arwen pleaded quietly, as she was taken aside simply to watch. She would not see her in pain once more just because she was trying to protect her. Being a daughter, a sister, a friend, a betrothal, a princess and the youngest out of her family and closest friends, she was plain tired of being protected by everyone from everything. Though not that she hadn't ever or didn't appreciate it all this time. She was not made of glass and would not break as easy as some might often think.  
  
Thalawen gazed over at her and gave a shake of the head. She didn't want Arwen to interfere and get herself into the trouble she was in now, sooner than she had too, if at all. More than ever, she wished for a rescue and she didn't care who came to do it.  
  
Just before she fully felt the first crack of the whip on her back, she re-thought her last wish, taking it back. She wanted Landailyn to be the one that rescued them, because she wanted her friend to be alive.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Sounds like a good plan to me!" Elrohir's opinion became known to his four companions, after Landailyn had thoroughly explained what she thought might win their friends back and defeat the ruthless group of corsairs.  
  
"Well if everyone knows they're part, then let us put it into action!" None of them objected so Elladan raised his unsheathed sword and started off in the Great River's general direction.  
  
The rest followed, with Landailyn taking it more slowly at first, but as soon as she had gained her usual bearings and demeanor, she easily sped up to join the older twin, who was still far in the lead.   
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Screams filled the upper decks; the sound flowing down through the cracks in the floorboards. These screams were not of agony, but of indignation and fury. "How dare you touch me, you filthy sea dog!" Thalawen yelled at the top of her lungs. The pain was drowned out by her white-hot wrath. "If I were unbound, you would be at the end of my sword!" Then painstakingly she remembered it was far away out of her possession.  
  
The men growled and resumed whipping her. She was still bound by the wrists and faced the wall on her knees. With each crack of the whip, the worse her anger became, and the more she was determined not to give in. She only hoped that torturing her would be enough, and that they'd leave Arwen alone.  
  
Faeroth sat at his desk, resting his forehead on his fingertips, only looking up once in a while. He wondered if the blonde haired Elf really would come back. His wonderings were instantly interrupted when a knocking on wood sounded from across the room. He looked up at it with creased brows.  
  
He quietly gestured for his men to continue their lashings of the captive and went to answer the door himself, but who stood behind it startled him greatly.  
  
"Remember me?"  
  
"How could I forget." His hands shot up to hang in the air on either side of him, as the tip of Landailyn's knife rested in the middle of his throat, making a dent in the skin as she pressed further so he would back up to his desk and have nowhere to go.  
  
"It's over, Faeroth. The little game you're playing with our lives is up. Release them."  
  
No one moved.  
  
"Do it!"  
  
The men acted as though they would carry out her solicitations, but instead pulled their cutlasses from their belts. Landailyn may have been one armed, but it didn't matter, she was ready for them and the two were dead within seconds. In a flash she had turned back to the captain, resting her blade in the same position as before.   
  
He had just reached a hand back on his desk for his basket hilted sword, but he quickly removed it.  
  
"Now, would you like to do the honors?"  
  
He gave a small sigh of fury and whispered a threatening promise to her alone. "You will pay dearly for this."  
  
"As will you." She simply replied, when he finally moved to untie her friends.  
  
Thalawen was helped up by Arwen. Her back stung intensely, but she was able to get around. Slowly they backed out, Landailyn still pointing her knife menacingly at the lead corsair and before he could stop her, she had slammed the door and Elladan and Elrohir let go of the rope they each held, dropping a huge heavy crate in front of the door, barricading him in.  
  
Quickly they hid around a corner and all smiled as they could hear the man inside cursing and pounding on the wood.  
  
"That was easy enough...but it's not over yet." Landailyn looked around, getting ready to go back into the fighting.  
  
"You're alive!" Arwen came to hug her, as if just realizing she had been the one to rescue them.  
  
"What? You thought that cliff was enough to do me in?" She joked. "Faeroth and his men couldn't even catch me. Why, I even brought some help."  
  
"I knew Asfaloth would tell them." Put in Thalawen, leaning for support on the ship's surrounding railing.  
  
"But Lord Elrond sent a message telling Aragorn, for he and Legolas are here as well." Landailyn nodded to he and Legolas, knowing she needed to join them soon. "Well, you know what to do." She turned to Elrohir, who nodded and made Thalawen put an arm over his shoulder, who in turn protested at his aid.  
  
Elladan handed Arwen a sheathed Hadhafang. And the princess was surprised they were letting her fight, but it seemed they needed all the help they could possibly get.  
  
Landailyn went first, running and jumping on the top railing of the steps that led up to Faeroth's cabin and down into the battle below. Elladan and Arwen followed suit, jumping over further down.  
  
"Hey!" Thalawen began to squirm in Elrohir's grasp, but the one word shout was not a protest of her sister going off without her, she knew their brother and Landailyn would have her back. "Where's _my _sword?! Let me go!"  
  
"Thala, you're really not in the shape to..."  
  
"Elrohir!"  
  
"Okay! It's right here, if you'll just keep it down." He took Carafang off his hip where it had been hidden by his cloak. "_We_ are going to get the keys to the cells and help the other prisoners escape."  
  
"How?" She said, checking out her weapon. "I don't exactly see them anywhere. They're probably in with the captain..."  
  
Suddenly, there was a clank on the floorboards in front of them. It was a large set of silver keys. They had been thrown up from the lower main deck by Elladan, who'd just found and killed the guard that carried them. "That's how." Elrohir reached out to retrieve the rusting metal ring.  
  
"You five just had this all planned out, didn't you?"  
  
Elrohir simply smiled. "Mostly Landy's ideas. Come on."   
  
The two snuck down to where the action was, hiding behind crates and barrels out of the way.  
  
"They're down here." Thalawen tapped her brother on the shoulder, snatching the jingling key set out of his hand and going forth toward a narrow hallway lined with doors that each contained a barred window.  
  
Elrohir followed closely, seeing for himself that she was right.   
  
  
**TBC ...**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 11**  
  
  
Together they traveled down the long hall, where they would soon find that behind every door held pitiful hopeless faces. "We must free them, Elrohir, and fast," commanded Thalawen. "I don't know how much time we have, so hurry."  
  
"How are we to free them if we don't know which key yet?" asked Elrohir. "You have them now, you hurry."  
  
Out of the shadows behind Elrohir, a corsair man made himself known. Wielding a heavy battle-axe, he swung it over his head and gave a mighty cry as it came down, intended to split the Elf in front of him in half.  
  
Giving a short howl of fright, Elrohir soon recovered and stepped out of the way. The corsair fell upon him and all the air was pushed from his lungs. "Argh, Thalawen, a little help here?" He said as he tried to shove the massive body off his own.  
  
Recovering Carafang from the carcass of the man, she looked narrowly down at the ungrateful twin. "I just killed him before he could kill you." She paused to cock her head. "What more do you want, brother?"  
  
Finding the right key, they began unlocking each door down the line, explaining the situation while they unshackled the people inside. All were Humans, mostly men, and only a few women. Some were a little frightened by the two Elves, but they were being freed and it mattered not.  
  
Surprisingly, most of them looked strong and able not weakened even by the harsh conditions they had been forced into. They thanked their two rescuers and fled down the hall leading to the main deck.  
  
But before they could reach it, they were met by a band of corsairs twice their size, but they showed they were willing and able to fight off the enemies. Having no weapons, they used their fists, feet, teeth, and nails to destroy the beings that blocked their way. When the last man of the little group fell, each grabbed the fallen soldiers' swords, giving cries of victory, and flooding the various decks of the entire ship.  
  
Elrohir and Thalawen followed quickly in the wake of the prisoners.  
  
Torches were lit, men were slaughtered, and the freed peoples were jumping overboard. The ones that stayed behind for the moment untied the huge boat from its dock.  
  
"They're thinking like us now, Landailyn!" cried Thalawen, thoroughly enjoying the sight, but soon realizing she was still on the boat when it was about to be destroyed. Thalawen grabbed Landailyn and Arwen's arms, and the three she-Elves ran for the gangplank.   
  
"Run faster, Arwen!" yelled Thalawen, tugging on her sister's arm.  
  
Behind the three and in front, Aragorn, Legolas and the twins all made it safely to shore and the seven turned back to watch the ship float further down the coast. Prisoners were now throwing their torches at it as it passed by. Only a few actually made it to the decks.  
  
Suddenly, several small explosions knocked those off their feet that had made it to the steep rocky bank.  
  
A part of the fire had reached four full barrels of rum, one exploding right after the other. The six Elves and their Human companion sat up slowly and looked out at the water. The ship was entirely engulfed in flames now, its black wood splintered and floating in the river. The sails had almost burned to nothing their fire licking high into the air, the main mast had fallen, and not a trace of any surviving crew swimming away.   
  
"Is everyone alright?" Landailyn asked, as they began to get back to their feet.  
  
"I think so..." answered Aragorn, looking around to make sure.  
  
"Speak for yourself," moaned Thalawen, who didn't rise like the rest.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll fix you up, Thala." Elrohir grinned as he and Elladan helped her up by her arms and seeing the prisoners had taken off, nowhere to be seen, all headed back toward the area where their five horses were awaiting their return.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"You know, we can't go on meeting like this," Thalawen joked to Landailyn, as Aragorn and Arwen worked on her whip lashings. "Look what happened the first time...and now this."  
  
Landailyn agreed and almost laughed at a thought Thalawen's words had created. "Do you not know what is happening here?"  
  
The older Elf shook her head at the question.  
  
"We're turning into Legolas and Aragorn!"   
  
This received laughs from them all; especially Elladan and Elrohir.  
  
"I think she's right, my friend," said the Elf prince to the Human king.  
  
Aragorn's wide smile held much mirth as he fixed the last bandage to Thalawen's cleansed cuts. "It's beginning to look that way. Okay, I have finished, Thala."  
  
"Yes and we advise _both_ of you to get rest," added Arwen, looking from Thalawen to Landailyn. They would be heading out in the late morning, their path set for Minas Tirith.  
  
"Yes, Mother. Yes, Father," Thalawen smirked, as she rose to go to Asfaloth to retrieve a bedroll for sleeping.   
  
"I'll take first watch," volunteered Elladan, setting up a place against a tree for the hours to come that he would sit there.  
  
"Maybe in awhile," Landailyn said and before the princess had the chance to object, she was disappearing on the other side of dense bushes north of the camp.  
  
The Human and Elf couple watched Legolas' reaction, who soon held for them a quick concerned gaze and he headed out to follow her.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Landailyn sighed, sinking down onto the flat surface of a stump once reaching a few hundred feet from her friends. She took off the sling for her arm, releasing her forearm from the cramped cloth. She simply wished for a little time alone, so that no one saw what emotions occurred on her face during her thoughts.  
_  
_"Landailyn?" Legolas asked in Elvish, "Is there something wrong?"  
  
She had not heard him coming, but it did not make her jump either when his voice had sounded. "No, I'm just thinking." She circled around on the wooden seat to see a face filled with her own features.   
  
It surprised Legolas a little that she would want to be out alone in the dark just after the terror aboard the ship that they had conquered, then remembered he learned long ago that she was not like other women, she was strong and not afraid. A brave captain who led her men to war when it was a necessity and coped with the death brought upon them and someday might bring upon herself. She was a true warrior.  
  
"Landailyn," he started, coming to sit down with her, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for what he was about to say. "You know, since last I saw you in Lorien, I haven't been able to stop myself from pondering on what you told me there."  
  
She turned to give him a wide-eyed stare. She hadn't expected to have this conversation for at least a few more months, when the prince returned home.  
  
"And you know what I realized by that?"  
  
She continued to stare, barely shaking her head. Stunned beyond movement, as she knew with every word from his mouth, he was leaning in closer to her.  
  
"That I love you too," he whispered, his lips now merely inches from hers.  
  
She waited a moment more, but quickly jumped up from her seat before he reached her. "We cannot do this." Before, she had wanted nothing more than for him to love her the way she loved him, but now when he had admitted it and had almost kissed her, clear visions flashed rapidly through her mind. Recent memories.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked patiently, his voice filled with concern, but he was not the least embarrassed.  
  
"It's not you...I just...I feel guilty, Legolas." Tears began to well up in her eyes. Now _she_ felt as though _she_ were betraying a friend.  
  
More than a little confused, he wondered aloud. "Guilty?"  
  
Landailyn nodded, letting a single tear fall for it was darker here and she hoped he wouldn't notice. "I think...Thalawen still loves you. She will not admit it of course, but I can see it. She's tried to let you go, I'm sure; because of what happened with Saruman...and because of me. So I just can't..." she cut herself off and quickly brushed the tear away. "Until I know...until I know the truth from her."  
  
He looked down and nodded. "I understand."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Of course! I know what you two have been through and I don't want to push either of you into anything too quickly. I don't want to lose her as a friend_ again_. And if I lost you..."  
  
"But Legolas, you won't. Friendship...or more...I could never walk away from you."  
  
Glad to hear this, he decided to kid her and make her feel better. "Well all I can say is, you two had better stop living out your big adventures then, because I've almost lost you both twice now."  
  
"Wait just a minute! You think we just go looking for trouble, 'Prince-I've-had-more-adventures-than-centuries-I've-lived'?" she exclaimed.  
  
His mouth had slowly started gaping, but now he was just laughing and not bothering to hide his glee.   
  
"I never cease to amuse you, do I?" She put her good hand on her hip and watched his expression carefully.  
  
It turned into a softer smile as he looked up at her. "It's one of the things I love about you...my friend."  
  
"And I don't think, my friend, that we've ever had an actual serious conversation, not a single one without it ending in you laughing at me."  
  
There was silence for a few moments as their chuckling died down and the two took to their own thoughts.  
  
"Legolas, would you mind? May I have a bit of time alone?" Landailyn eventually asked.  
  
He was not sure he should leave her alone, but he told himself that they would be within hearing distance if anything were to happen. "Sure," he gave in and stood. "I will be back at camp, if you need me." With that said, he disappeared, swallowed up by the black of the night.  
  
This time she had gotten out of it. None of it had been put on; nothing had been a lie, but what about the next time? They were still heading to Gondor and it was still a long way. And it was possible Legolas would return home when she left from there, meaning she would be with him the _entire_ time and part of it they would be alone.  
  
Could she go on making up excuses not to be with him? This is what she had wanted, wasn't it? She knew she loved him, but their friendship meant so much to her. Why did they have to go and break it by being in love? She couldn't help it; it was just so frustrating being torn between two feelings.  
  
Interrupting her once again, Landailyn felt someone's presence and looked over to find Arwen staring at her from beside the thick stump she and the prince had previously been sitting on. "Hi," she greeted with a brief smile.  
  
Arwen returned it, hers only slightly wider, then explained why she'd come. "Thalawen, Aragorn, and Elrohir are resting. Elladan is on watch and I could find no rest for myself. I saw Legolas came back without you, looking as though he'd just lost his best friend. So I thought I would see what was wrong." She gave up trying to advise her friend to sleep when she apparently could not or simply did not want to.  
  
"He told me he loved me," she began in small speech, her eyes not meeting her friend's. "The day that I had so waited for. For a very long time, I might add, and I told him that I felt guilty because I know that Thalawen still loves him. And I just don't know what to do anymore..."  
  
Arwen had figured out some time ago that Thalawen still loved Legolas; even when she'd told them she would love no man ever again. "I'm sorry I cannot really help you, Landy. I wish I could make things better for all three of you."  
  
"Thanks. Me too," she whispered.  
  
Deep in their conversation, they never heard what lurked behind in the shadows of the trees, until it was too late.  
  
  
**TBC ...**    
  
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**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
Sorry this chapter is a day late, but we had a storm here last night and it screwed up my internet for awhile! Anyways, as you can see it's not the end yet, for the reviewers who were wondering! ;) We've got a new surprise! Can you guess what's back there in the shadows of the trees? Can't? In a couple days from now we'll have chapter 12 posted and you'll all find out!  
Also, if you haven't seen and would like to see the pics of Thala and I at the renaissance festival we went to, I finally got them up on my site!  


	12. Chapter 12

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 12  
  
  
**As soon as she caught sight of him, Arwen tried to warn Landailyn of the danger she was about to be in. But a second later, thin sharp metal was pressed against Landailyn's throat and larger, stronger arms twisted her own behind her. She cried out at the pain this caused in her healing arm and wrist and struggled to free herself.  
  
"Faeroth...I-I thought..." Arwen stammered, greatly surprised to see he had survived the destruction of his ship.  
  
"I was dead? Thought you had killed me, eh? Sorry to disappoint you." The smile he held was more evil than ever before. "Let's see, you won't be needing these..." He began to unbuckle Landailyn's newly mended quiver straps with one hand, while still keeping his dagger tightly in place with the other.  
  
The princess opened her mouth, just barely started to turn her head and draw in a breath, when she was instantly caught in the act and interrupted.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" He'd looked up from what he was doing and threw his prisoner's quiver to the ground between them. "Warn your friends and I kill her _right now_, got it?" Spittle flew from his mouth in his rage.  
  
Perhaps it wouldn't have been a smart move, but what else could she have done? Let one of her friends be taken again? Arwen slowly turned back, eyes wide with fear. "Please, don't hurt her."  
  
"Don't worry," his quiet laugh filled with madness that the moonlight showed twinkling in his eyes. "She's safe with me."  
  
Arwen looked to Landailyn's face. Her eyes were skimming the small vicinity trying to find something that would be of help, but there was nothing. Finally, these eyes landed on the princess. They seemed to plead with her not to do anything else that could possibly get her killed, Landailyn still never worrying about herself.  
  
"Well, it's been nice seein' ya again, Elf." He nodded to Arwen with a smirk. "But this one and I have to go. We have a little...unfinished business to take care of. And don't think about movin' till we're gone." He began backing up and dragging Landailyn away with him, never taking his eyes off of Arwen, who stood perfectly still, glaring at his retreating form.  
  
The second they were out of sight, she picked up the quiver and sped off in the opposite direction.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
_The blackness of the night seemed to swallow everything that was more than three foot in front of her. The cold dark trees swayed in the unforgiving wind. She'd had a dream like this once before, but knew it was not the same. Somehow, she had a feeling this dream would be much more menacing.  
  
Just as she was about to make herself wake up, she saw a faint glowing light, almost as if there was a blaze ahead behind a clump of bushes.  
  
She walked forward, cautiously. Creeping closer, she bent down and peered over the foliage and saw, in the middle a crackling fire. Sitting beside it was Landailyn. With a sigh of relief, Thalawen jumped up and walked toward her, but she did not seem to know that she was there.  
  
Thalawen sat down beside her and looked across at her friend. Her white-blonde hair shone like a beacon in the fire's glow. Her skin was the same; a faint glowing erupted from the surface. Thalawen still could not believe that she had once almost killed Landailyn, her new best friend, for Prince Legolas. How could she ever have wanted to hurt a single hair on Landy's head, she thought to herself as she sat gazing at her.  
  
Just then, the sound of a twig snapping made them both turn to look behind them. Landailyn got up quickly to investigate, no weapons on her person; she went unarmed. Thalawen did not know what was behind the bush, but was definitely not expecting what happened next.  
  
Suddenly, the scenery around her changed and Thalawen was at the bottom of a cliff. Looking up to the top, she could see two figures in the middle. "Landy!" She could hear her voice alone, screaming for her friend.  
  
A man was holding Landailyn by the throat, he had plunged the long blade of a dagger into her stomach. But this was not just any man; it was Captain Faeroth, a corsair. But he was dead, wasn't he?  
  
He turned his menacing grin toward her, as he ripped the blood soaked knife from the blonde Elf. Landailyn fell forward onto the grass in front of him, where she did not move again. Thalawen could no longer see her friend; she was at the bottom of the hill and could do nothing to reach the top fast enough. Then, without warning, Thalawen shot up through the air, landed on the cliff's edge, and looked down into the fallen Elf's face.   
  
Her blue eyes, as blue as the sea itself, were staring straight at her, still open in death.  
  
_Thalawen sat up, gasping and wildly looking around. She was in camp and had not moved from her bedroll. It had been a dream, but it had felt entirely too real.  
  
"Thala?" Elladan asked from his spot somewhere behind her. "Are you alright?"  
  
She shook her head, not really listening to him. She was too busy wincing inwardly from the slashes marking her back, while trying to figure out what she'd witnessed. It had been Faeroth, she knew for sure. But they had killed him. No one had come out of the firey black ship. "Landailyn," she mumbled aloud, looking around for the girl within the area, not seeing a single trace of her.  
  
Elladan listened with raised brows, wondering what the Silvan she-Elf had to do with anything.  
  
"She was...dead. I saw her..."  
  
Legolas had had his back to her, standing on the edge of their camp, but at that broken utterance he jerked around to adorn her with a startled stare. "What?" he asked fearfully, hoping he hadn't heard exactly what he'd thought she'd said. He came to kneel in front of her, as did Elladan.  
  
"Faeroth, he...he killed her," she went on.  
  
"Thala, what are you talking about? Faeroth is dead you know that. Landailyn's fine, she's with Arwen. It's okay, it was only a dream," soothed the eldest twin, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Perhaps what they had all went through the past couple weeks had worn on his older sibling and it was an induced dream of what she thought could have happened.  
  
"It was a nightmare," she replied to her younger brother, but she was looking up at Legolas wishing him to understand.  
  
He started to say something, but a familiar form came crashing through the trees in their rush to reach the circle of the campfire.  
  
"Arwen," Elladan rose at her entrance. "What's...?"  
  
"Faeroth! He's alive! And he's taken Landailyn!"  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**  
mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
So, were any of you expecting that? That it would be Faeroth back for more? And guess what we now know that Thalawen has… LOL Well, chapter 13 won't be up for a little while, really sorry guys, but I'm going camping and won't get back till Saturday the 4th, but I promise I will finish and post it that afternoon as soon as I get home! But that's like four days from now…hope you all won't be too mad at me! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 13**  
  
  
The three were in complete shock at the news. It seemed as though Thalawen's dream had suddenly become everyone's reality.  
  
Immediately, Arwen helped Elladan to wake the two still sleeping and explained, while the four then gathered their needed gear.  
  
Thalawen still merely stared at Legolas, who had only stared right back, but soon looked away to the place Arwen had rested Landailyn's quiver. She had nothing to defend herself and only one usable hand.  
  
"Legolas," Arwen came up to them. "She was taken east from the area you left her. I don't know where they were going."  
  
The prince looked up and realized what she'd said. This was his fault, he never should have left her alone.  
  
"We should probably split up in two's then," suggested the youngest twin.  
  
"Right," agreed his Human brother. "Arwen, you're with me; we'll go northeast."  
  
"I'm with Elladan," Elrohir chose.  
  
"And we'll go southeast," Elladan finished.  
  
Legolas looked back at Thalawen. "And we will go due east." He left camp, heading the way he had followed Landailyn in the first place. Which was basically north, but not as far as Aragorn and Arwen were going and it was the only place for which he knew to start.  
  
Each group had taken off in their directions. Being the only one left, Thalawen jumped from her bed, grabbed only her sword and took off after the Mirkwood prince.  
  
They reached the location and turned east, keeping watchful eyes. "In my dream," started Thalawen in a murmur, "they were at the cliff where Landailyn fell when we tried to escape."  
  
Legolas stopped and turned. She had been right about Faeroth being alive and taking Landailyn, perhaps they really were at this place. "Are you sure?"  
  
She closed her eyes. She could see it clearly; what had happened and where. "Yes."  
  
"Lead the way." This time, he would make sure the man stayed dead.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"So, how is it that you wish to die, Elf?"  
  
Landailyn had been shoved to the ground and decided it would be easier just to stay there, trying to think up an escape. But what kind of a match would she be against him in her condition? And she probably wouldn't get very far if she tried to run for it either.  
  
"Sword? Arrow?" He began naming off weapons he'd once had. "Oh wait, I forgot you lost me those with my ship. Perhaps then, a dagger might be sufficient?" Faeroth held up the weapon that was still in his right hand. "Or should I just throw you over this cliff? You seemed to have survived it the last time though, then again, that wasn't the south end." A grin formed over his darker skinned face, then he concealed the knife in his belt once more.  
  
They were in the middle of the tall hill that she, Arwen, and Thalawen had climbed on their first escape attempt and she had fallen off the west end. The south was where the trees and plains stretched far and wide; the one that was a _long_ way down.  
  
"Why don't you do Middle-earth a favor and jump off this cliff yourself. I'm sure no one would miss your stinking carcass, Faeroth, mere human that you are," she smarted too him. _  
_  
"I told you, you would pay dearly. You lost me my prisoners, my crew, and my ship!" Faster than she could've given him credit for, his hand was around her slim throat and tightening with every second. He squeezed a little more, until barely the shortest breath could pass through her tightened trachea. "Oh look, we have an audience." Having seen the arrival of two more Elves around the base of the cliff, he tried not to let them know he knew they were there by not turning his head. "I wondered when someone would show up. Well, now I get to deliver to them the same pleasure of seeing you die. I wonder if they'll enjoy it as much as I will."  
  
Landailyn tried to look over to where her friends might be, not even knowing who was suppose to be down there, then back up to the man who would soon be her murderer. He had pulled something from his belt, but she couldn't see what yet. She struggled slightly under his iron grip, growing more than a little light headed from lack of oxygen.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
With her sharp vision, Thalawen saw the object Faeroth held. It was the dagger. The one that was suppose to kill Landailyn. "Legolas!" she whispered fiercely. "My dream! This is exactly what happened!" She had nothing but Carafang in possession, so it was up to him. "Do something!"  
  
Legolas sheathed his knives and took his Lorien bow from its resting place on his back, next drawing an arrow.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Out of nowhere, a sharp projectile soared through the air, and found its mark, digging deep into the upper part of Faeroth's leg.   
  
It was merely a warning, the next time Legolas wouldn't 'pretend to miss.'   
  
He cried out in pain and Landailyn saw it was his blade he had pulled, that dropped to the grass.  
  
At that moment, she would have tried to get away, but his hand tightened even more on her neck.  
  
"Must you Elves ruin everything?!" he growled and ignoring his injury, began dragging her to the south edge. "You can thank your friends for this the next time you see them! Apparently we're running out of time, so we'll just have to try the quicker way."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Legolas and Thalawen watched carefully as they moved out of their sights entirely.  
  
Now Thalawen didn't know what was going to happen since they had prevented his first attempt. Then she remembered something about the cliff, as in how far down it was on the other side. No time to explain to Legolas, she bolted for the path.  
  
Asking no questions the prince was right on her heels.  
  
Thalawen was almost to the top, seeing Faeroth dragging a struggling Landailyn to the cliff's south perimeter. He was going to throw her over the side! But she was still nearly fifty feet away and they were already reaching where the drop-off began.  
  
Sensing someone behind him, Faeroth turned to look at Thalawen, smiling that menacing smile. And then he let go his hold on Landailyn.   
  
"No!" Putting an extra burst of speed into her legs, Thalawen reached the side, dove, and caught Landailyn's hand as she dangled over the edge.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
Well there was chapter 13 like I promised! 14 will be a little while though! And hey, we just got our first bad review! I was expecting it sometime or another, but it still kinda surprised me! But I just wanted to explain a little to ES is that they do too get their spare time, we just don't really elaborate on those parts and the whole point of the story is that they don't get hardly any rest from danger so that you feel for the characters! Sorry that you don't like it, but thanks for your review anyway and our others!  
  
**Thala :**   
Oh my! We just got our first negative review! …COOL! Though I do have one teensy tiny question. ES speaks as if the she-Elves never have any downtime. My question is: what do you think they did for those five months after "Shadow in the Trees"? Well, I'll tell you. They sat around and did absolutely nothing! Hence, why we never wrote about that time, there was simply nothing to write. This is an action/adventure story. Why, may I ask, is there supposed to be calm in the chaos of an action/adventure/drama? But, you're review pleased me immensely. The only thing I'm disappointed in is that you never elaborated on what we needed to improve, and you never told us what stories were better than ours so that we could go and read those and learn from them! Thanks again anyway for reading and reviewing, it still meant a great deal to mirkwood and I. Also, I don't know when I'm going to get to mirkwood's house to write with her; I have a cold and I don't want to take the chance of spreading it to her whole family! So, in the next week, please have patience with us while I get over this wretched bug! Thanks everyone!


	14. Chapter 14

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By: mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 14**  
  
  
Landailyn free fell for a mere split second. Her hand raking the ground as she slid off, trying to find something to hold on to, when she instead felt something grab her hand and she jerked to a stop. Slowly she looked up, her blonde hair whipping across her face with the east wind. She fully expected to see Faeroth's face, taunting her.  
  
Instead, she was extremely relieved at seeing who it really was. Her groggy eyes released the tears she didn't know she'd been holding; they streaked downward, running through the dirt that smudged her face. "Don't let go, Thalawen! Don't let me go!" She pleaded, her watery eyes huge as she stared up at the Half-Elf. She hated this feeling of weakness, but everything in the past few weeks with corsairs, and cliffs, and much pain with little rest had finally taken its toll on her mind and body.  
  
"It's alright, Landy," Thalawen said soothingly. She was actually quite out of breath from the run, but would not let loose the hold on her friend. Thalawen tried to pull her back up, grabbing her uninjured arm with both hands, but could not do it alone. "Give me your other hand, Landy! I need your other hand!"  
  
After several tries to lift her hurt arm, Landailyn gave up, sobbing, "I can't!"  
  
"Yes, you can! Give it to me!" She knew her command would be heeded. "Now!"  
  
With all the hurts she had endured over the last several days, Landailyn was about to endure more. The pangs in her shoulder made her cry out as she threw her arm upward.  
  
Thalawen caught it above the elbow and pulled with all her might. "You're almost up, Landy. Hold on!" She dragged her friend up and over the side, still dragging her back further from the crumbling edge. Both sitting on the ground, Thalawen pulled her in her arms and hugged her. "You're okay, my friend. Everything is okay."  
  
They both had momentarily forgotten the captain, but looked now to where he was, thanking the Valar that Legolas was there too.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"You just had to come to the rescue, didn'cha?" growled the ex-captain of the Shadow Specter.  
  
Legolas glared at the man, burning fury in his eyes. He was the one that had caused all this; the one that had caused his friends pain that they didn't deserve. "That's right. Never will you hurt another innocent as long as we stand in the way."  
  
Faeroth cocked his head and smiled amusingly at the male Elf's intended threat. "Then I guess I'll just have to get you _all_ out of my way." The corsair lunged sideways for his lost weapon. Retrieving it with the thud of his body, he threw it, aiming for the Elf's chest, but still he continued to underestimate this race.  
  
Legolas was easily faster and dodged the flying knife, then did what he had to do, firing another arrow. It entered through the man's chest and straight into his heart, ending his life instantly and painlessly. Even if the prince knew painless was not what this man deserved in the least.  
  
The captain lay in utter stillness having rolled onto his back, blood deeply staining his light brown shirt.  
  
Thalawen and Landailyn watched as the prince then hastily approached their spot. "Landailyn, are you alright?! I should not have left you alone, I'm sorry…"   
  
The Elf captain still lay in Thalawen's arms, sighing and closing her eyes. It was relieving to see that her near killer was finally dead. "It's all right, Legolas. Hanned lle," [_Thank you,_] she said, her voice carrying a pitch barely above a whisper as she tried hard to compose herself. The event that the fall she could have taken would have been the death of her.  
  
"Thank Thala, she knew where to find you."  
  
Landailyn glanced from Legolas up to Thalawen in uncertainty.  
  
"I had a dream before Arwen came with the news of you," she explained almost hesitantly as if embarrassed or ashamed. "It was exactly what happened...except you were the one that died, not him. He killed you."  
  
Stunned by this, Landailyn achingly sat up, wiping away the wetness of her previous tears. "He would have…if you two had not come when you did." And the she-Elves knew that it would not have been by falling off the cliff. "Thank you both."   
  
Together, they helped Landailyn up from the ground, and while Thalawen continued to steady her, and check her arm for another dislocation, Legolas collected his arrows from Faeroth's body.   
  
After all three agreed her arm was fine, and without so much as a backward glance, they returned to their camping area.  
  
As certainly expected, Legolas was more than hesitant about leaving either of them alone again, but Thalawen assured him she would keep careful watch while he went off to find their four searching companions.   
  
Landailyn hadn't said a word on the way back, and after seeing Legolas off; Thalawen watched her now sitting across the low fire, resting her forehead against the fingers of her left hand. She knew she had to be tired and quickly went to find her bedroll on Asfaloth. Landailyn's things were still on the white horse as well as she and Arwen's.  
  
Thalawen didn't speak either as she came back with the pallet, handing it down to her friend.   
  
Landailyn took it with understanding and nodded her thanks. She did need rest, and for a change, she actually _wanted_ it. Rolling the padding out over the dewy grass, she only hoped she had none of the nightmarish foreseeing dreams that Thalawen had been experiencing. Lying on her left side, she gazed with droopy eyes into the flames that separated she and Thalawen. "Thala?"  
  
The dark haired Elf looked back down from her surveillance of the camp.  
  
"Why is it always us who get in to trouble? Why do our adventures always go bad?" she asked lazily. Landailyn pondered further. "Is it the combination of Arwen, you, and I? Arwen," she mused, "the one who is soft hearted, the lover of a king. I am a captain of arms, a woman who is in love with her own prince. And you, Thala." Landailyn continued to look across the fire at her friend. "I am unable to categorize you. You are a warrior that is for sure, you love the same man I love, I know that as well, but I cannot say "Thalawen the Warrior" nor can I say "Thalawen the Lover of a Man She Cannot Have." If, given a word for you it would be protect. I would have to describe you as "Thalawen the Protectress" because that is simply what you are." She paused in her contemplations and looked directly into Noldor Elf's eyes. "Is it not? Is that not the word to depict you as you truly are?"  
  
Embarrassed, Thalawen looked into the fire itself, not meeting her friend's eyes. All that Landailyn said had been true, and Thalawen felt ashamed that her inner being had been drawn out into the light. Yes, she was a ruthless warrior, callous at times, to defeat her enemies. Yes, she did love Legolas, coincidentally the same man that Landailyn loved, and yes, what she said about not being able to have Legolas was absolutely true. But also, being labeled the Protectress was true as well. For as long as she could remember, Thalawen had been the protector of everything around her, most certainly Arwen. It was all she knew.  
  
Banishing those thoughts, pushing them back into the dark depths from which they had come, Thalawen looked back to Landailyn. "Get some sleep, you're exhausted."  
  
Landailyn let out a chuckle. "Perhaps I am, and perhaps I'm not. That is for me to decide."  
  
"Wrong. Lack of sleep is making you delusional." Thalawen went and sat next to her, holding her friend's head in her lap. "Close your eyes, it's always easier to sleep that way."  
  
A small smile formed on Landailyn's mouth. "Ah, there is my protector again, always looking out for everyone but herself." The smile disappeared. "But who looks after you, my friend?" she asked. "Who will save you when you're so busy saving the rest of us?"  
  
Absently, Thalawen smoothed Landailyn's hair away from her brow. "_That_ is for me to decide. You sleep now," she whispered.  
  
"I'm so glad I met you, Thala. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life," said the blonde Elf as she finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
Thalawen looked down again and smiled warmly at the sight of her friend's sleeping face. "And I you, my friend."  
  
Alone for another agonizing fifteen minutes, Thalawen remained alert, thinking long and hard on her dream and what had really happened after she and Legolas had interfered with a scene that was meant to be. Voices within the woods caused her to stand at attention, leaving her place with Landailyn. Soon she greeted the three returning companions and while two stayed on with her, the third went out in search once more.   
  
Arwen knelt next to Landailyn, looking her over for injury, being careful not to wake her in any way. "Is she alright?" She looked up in question at her sister.  
  
Thalawen nodded, already lying down on her own bedroll. "Just tired."  
  
"As we all are." mumbled the Human.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
After the prince returned with the twins, each man took his turn at keeping watch while the three women received their deserved rest the whole night through. The following day would bring much walking and the she-Elves would need their strength for the next two weeks of nothing but it.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931: **  
A huge apology to our readers! Really sorry we are not getting our chapters out as fast as usual, we've kinda had writer's block for one thing...and as Thala explained in a review that we both had deaths in our families just last week. Anyway, 15 will be awhile too. And finally someone (Kate) acknowledged in a review that Thalawen has foresight! And I know I say this a lot, but thank you all for your reviews once again! They're great; we love each and every one and check everyday to see if there are any new! You all have your opinions and it makes us happy to see we are pleasing you each chapter as the story goes along! However, I think I can guarantee there will at least be 20 chapters or close to that...or possibly more, we have no idea where it will land this time! LOL   
I also would like to add that a couple weekends ago I got to do something I have always wanted to do! Me, my brother and my friend Beth (she's from Oklahoma) all went 'real' ghost hunting! It was cool! We found a couple cemeteries close to our town on a website that showed directions to different haunted places in Missouri! So if you're interested, please check out my website's homepage, there's a link that says: My Ghost Hunting Experience! The page on there is about the log I wrote on one of the cemeteries we went to called Spanish Fort and when all the pics are developed I'll be posting them along with the other cemetery's page!


	15. Chapter 15

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
  
**Later that morning, Elladan watched protectively over all six of his peaceful companions as it was once more his turn, only thankful that none of them had awoken in the night with another 'dream come true'.  
  
It was approximately three hours after dawn and he would begin waking them one by one in a matter of minutes. He stepped quietly away from the resting bodies to finish checking if the five steeds were ready to go along with them once they themselves were ready to depart from the land.  
  
"Where are _you_ going?"  
  
"Nowhere," He stopped in his tracks, sighing and turning to face his adopted sibling. "What are _you_ doing up?"  
  
Thalawen stood just a few feet behind him. "It's time to be up."  
  
Elladan shook his head. "Then do me a favor and wake everyone up. I'm checking the horses."  
  
Strolling back over toward the circle of ashes where their fire had been, she stood on the side of it she had slept, and looked around. Who to wake up first, she thought. She had four to chose from, leaving Landailyn alone so that she stayed oblivious to her pain as long as possible.  
  
Then her gaze landed upon one.  
  
Squatting next to the youngest twin brother, a very small devilish look crept across her face, as she called his name softly.  
  
"Hmmm...?" Came the low answer in his half-alertness.  
  
Leaning down closer, she yelled into his ear. "Get up!"  
  
Now fully alert, Elrohir shot up into a sitting position, eyes as round as cup saucers, muttering some sort of gibberish Thalawen could not understand. His head jerked from side to side, looking for the loud source that had awoken him. What he found was his older sister staring straight at him with a rather large delighted smile.  
  
And just when Thalawen hoped it would not, her little wakeup call only meant for her brother had brought _everyone _out of their slumber. She had thought her voice had been quiet enough. Her smile changed to apologetic as the rest now stared at them, wondering what the fuss had been about.  
  
"What was that for?!" Elrohir asked, shoving the older Elf away lightly.  
  
"Can I not torment my little brother without being questioned as to why I would do such a thing?"  
  
"No." He retorted curtly.  
  
Laughing, they all rose to their feet, and they began to gather all their belongings and supplies. The Human yawned, stretching long and hard, slightly stiff from the activities the day before had held for them. And when Landailyn began to fold and roll up her bed, Legolas came to help. She looked over at him, as he took the stretch of padding from her grasp. She smiled. "Many thanks..."  
  
"Landy, come here."  
  
Landailyn glanced over her shoulder to see Arwen fashioning another sling from Aragorn's healing items. Leaving Legolas to pack the rest of her things, she obeyed Arwen's command and knelt in front of her, hissing involuntarily in pain as her arm was even slightly moved.  
  
"Sorry," Arwen's wince was visible on her face; drawing back her hand as though the Wood-Elf's tunic had suddenly become red hot.  
  
Landailyn shook her head. She knew what had to be done and it wasn't at all the princess' fault. "It's alright. Go ahead."  
  
Arwen hesitantly tried tying the cloth again. If Landailyn was in this much pain today, she feared for how the dislocation would heal, but only more time would tell.  
  
Biting back a second sound, another minute later the Silvan Elf was only glad they were finished.  
  
In a half hour, they were all ready for their separate journeys. The rest easily overheard the twin brothers' plans to leave them that morning through Elladan's excuse to Aragorn.   
  
"We'd love to come, Brother, but we really ought to return to Father. Besides, we have our duties around the house…"  
  
To his right, Elrohir sighed in frustration, for the direction he would have rather gone was south. Their time with family and friends had not been long enough for his liking.  
  
"Anyway," Continued his twin. "All of you make sure you take care of yourselves, because we'll not come looking for you again!"  
  
The group grinned and rolled their eyes. Taking their turns in hugging both twins. Even if something else did happen, they knew the two would immediately set out to find them as soon as word drifted their way.  
  
"We will." Assured Aragorn. "And I too will send notice that we arrive safely."  
  
The twins smiled at one another. "You better." Elladan teased his youngest brother. "Or we _will _come looking for you and make you wish you had!"  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*_  
  
  
_"I would rest them now, you do not want to push it."  
  
Landailyn agreed with Arwen, as her arm and wrist were starting to trouble her again, but spoke nothing of it to anyone.  
  
They were coming to the southern borders of Anorien, and the she-Elf's arm and wrist were almost healed. A few days before, she had begun using her knives and bow as rehabilitation each day they stopped to rest or camp._  
_  
Sitting down on the ground, her back against a tree, she tried not to pay much attention to anything, relaxing while she knew Aragorn and Legolas were closely watching the area, but the sudden memory of an important event entered Landailyn's mind out of nowhere, even when she had cleared it of her home and recent past. "Legolas," She said almost automatically, resting her bow against her leg. "I only just remembered, there is news from home I thought you might want to hear."  
  
The prince said nothing; anxious to know if it was bad news she would give him.   
  
Even the sisters and Human nearly stopped what they were doing, wanting to know what she had to tell of the two's home.  
  
"In mid March, there was a surprise attack on your father's realm. The forces were large and it was a long battle beneath our trees, late into the morning of the following day, but at last we held victory. Many days after it was over, a rider from Lorien arrived to see if we too were dealt these attacks. He told us they were coming from Dol Guldur, that three already had been attempted on the Golden Wood, one even on the same day as ours had began. He left with the advice that we should remain prepared for more, but luckily nothing else had come since before I took leave for Rivendell. Later we learned that Erebor had been besieged on the seventeenth."  
  
Legolas nodded solemnly. "Father fares well then…?"  
  
She nodded only once with the hint of a smile. "He is fine; he suffered little injury. But I cannot say that is true for many more of our men once again. We are losing our numbers so quickly and greatly. But good news did eventually come our way, fifteen days later from our attack, Dol Guldur was destroyed."  
  
"So the battle in Mirkwood was on March fifteenth?" Aragorn seemed suddenly interested in the date.  
  
"It was."  
  
The king glanced over at Legolas. "That was the day the Pelennor was attacked. I didn't know Sauron had sent out his troops from all over."  
  
"Aye, I heard they came down from Rhun as well." She added.  
  
Arwen and Thalawen still listened silently to the talk of battle, looking over at one another, then back to the conversing trio. Thankfully, they had not seen a day of war since Thalawen was rescued from Isengard, not counting their corsair 'inconvenience'._  
  
_Aragorn nodded, looking thoughtful, but knowing it was all in the past now. The dark forces were not gone, but most likely none of their lands would hear of much more trouble from them with Sauron defeated. At least, everyone hoped. "Well, we should be going. The White City can no more than a league now."  
  
Landailyn stood. "Legolas, may I barrow Arod? I wish to scout ahead."  
  
Overhearing, Thalawen raised her brows, cutting in before Legolas could reply. "You know what happened last time you did that..."  
  
Landailyn shot her a mock glare, smiling. "Well then, would you care to accompany me?"  
  
"I really do not think..."  
  
"No, Arwen, we shall go. I just need Asfaloth, please."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
As soon as she knew they were out of sight, Landailyn turned to Thalawen, giving her a speculating stare.  
  
Thalawen, sensing someone watching, looked over her shoulder, then to the woman riding on her left, then at the road ahead. After several minutes passed by, she again looked to her left, seeing Landailyn's stare still in place. Thalawen raised a hand to her face. "What? Have I got a smudge somewhere?"  
  
Landailyn laughed a little. "Since when have you been worried about dirt, Thala?"  
  
"Since you started staring at me," said Thalawen. She waited for a moment. "Well? What is it? What are you looking at?"  
  
Landailyn paused for a bit longer, and then finally she spoke. "I've been wondering something." She paused again.  
  
Giving an exasperated sigh, Thalawen looked at her yet again, "You are driving me simply insane, Landy. Spit it out."  
  
At this, Landailyn expressed her amusement in a snicker. "Somehow I knew it would get to you." The blonde Elf looked ahead, and spoke her wonderment. "I've been pondering you and Legolas."  
  
"As in?" asked Thalawen curiously.  
  
"As in: what you two did in Rivendell, what made you fall in love with him…" she thought her next question over, "and what he felt for you." Landailyn looked directly into Thalawen's eyes, enviously.  
  
Of all the questions Landailyn could have asked Thalawen, this one was the least expected. Thalawen was a bit taken aback by Landailyn's new gaze. "Why do you ask me these questions? They have nothing to do with you, and they can hurt you in no way." This was said cautiously, she did not want to tread on Landailyn's anger.  
  
"Please, indulge me," furthered Landailyn.  
  
Thalawen sighed a bit at what was about to be said. She'd hoped to keep these fond memories to herself, but Landailyn was her friend, and if she wanted to know, then she would tell her. Deciding to answer her inquiries in the order with which they were asked, Thalawen began. "I met him when he attended the Council of Elrond. He snuck upon me while I was practicing with Carafang, I was ready to all but cut his head off, and would have too if he hadn't drawn his knives." A slow smile spread on Thalawen's face and her eyes grew misty with the recollections.  
  
"His beauty almost took my breath away; the way his blonde hair shone in the sun's rays, those pale blue piercing eyes; the shape of his face. It was instant attraction on my part, and that shocked me as well, as I had never experienced it before, and have never once since then. He made fun of me, thought me a child playing with a sharp object that didn't belong to me, but I showed him. The inscription on Carafang surprised him, made him respect me in a way." She looked down at the saddle, at her hand tightening on the horn. "Legolas followed me, watched me wherever I went around Rivendell, he thought I was oblivious to his "stalking," if you will, but I knew, I would not give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence, until one day." Thalawen stopped there, looked off in the distance, not knowing whether to go on, to proceed in the story of her only love.  
  
Landailyn's silent insistence and persuasion made her proceed.  
  
"You asked what made me fall in love with the prince. Believe you me; it was not love at first sight. But, it hit me one day, came out of nowhere and engulfed me," she said.  
  
"What happened?" asked Landailyn silently. She thought Thalawen would say no more, there was a glittering in her eyes, a frown upon her lips, all happiness drawn from her face.  
  
"I was alone. Aragorn and Arwen were together, and I had no other. I was on my balcony when I caught him spying me from the bushes below, and I decided to befriend him. Being by myself was making me ill, I guess you could say that I needed him." She looked at Landailyn. "I invited him into my room, to sit with me on the balustrade. We talked, got to know each other a little bit." Thalawen noticed the change in Landailyn's eyes. "No," she answered her unspoken question. "That is not when I fell in love with him. I'm getting to that. He finally convinced me to go riding with him; he made it into a race, 'who can get to their horse faster.' Of course he won, only because he cheated." She smiled again. "I have a feeling that that was not the first time he'd cheated at something."  
  
An answering laugh of Landailyn's told Thalawen she was right.  
  
"I thought so. Anyway, it was later that day, he was doing everything in his power to make me happy, to make me laugh. We started target practice; he let me win. His arrows were in every tree but the tree that held the target. That was when I fell in love with him."  
  
"But why?" asked Landailyn, almost already knowing the answer, for she knew first hand what kind of person Legolas was.  
  
"Because; he showed me kindness. He tried to make me happy when I needed it the most." She paused before her next statement. "He actually cared."  
  
They rode on in silence, Landailyn contemplating what she'd just found out about the Elf scouting with her. Wondering if she should ask Thalawen to tell her what Legolas had told her he felt, though she could probably figure it out on her own. "Oh," was all she could reply.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to say I will answer your questions and then leave out the answer you want most." She waited until she knew she had Landailyn's full attention. "Legolas' head was turned from you, to me, for a while. I believe that he had started to share my feelings, that he was actually falling in love with me…that is until he compared me to you." Another pause. "You can't know how I felt. I was so…"  
  
"Jealous?" supplied Landailyn with a smile.  
  
"You say that all too comfortably." Thalawen would neither confirm nor deny the accusation. "It was then he thought only of me as a friend, and his love for you returned once more." She looked on Landailyn. "There, you have it. Did I answer everything you wanted me to?"  
  
Sadness for Thalawen overcame Landailyn. She looked away, ashamed at her queries. "Yes, yes you did."  
  
Paying more attention to their surroundings, they found they had changed entirely. No more than half a mile ahead loomed the White Mountains, where just around their corner, lay the seat of Gondor's kings, Minas Tirith.  
  
Nothing seemed or felt out of the ordinary, so at the river they let the horses drink, waiting for their companions to catch up.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**  
mirkwood-elf-2913 :**  
I wanted to thank those who have been checking out my ghost hunting page on my website! Thala and I just went last weekend, so check out the new logs for that as well! And I just got the pics from them developed and will be trying to post them tonight along with this chapter!  
Also, one of you might just be right in what's gonna happen in the next few chapters! We've still got a few more to go! And after this one, we _might_ have a 'pre-story' over Thalawen's childhood!   
Hope you all had a good Halloween! I did! My friend Beth came over and my family had a hotdog roast and my graduation party finally too and later we watched scary movies! :)


	16. Chapter 16

**IMPORTANT : **The way we describe Minas Tirith through the rest of the story...if anything seems wrong we _know _thatit's not suppose to be like that, we just went from how it looks in my Atlas of Middle-earth book and how we've seen the city in pics from the movie and the Return of the King game that just came out! ;)  
 **  
  
AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 16  
  
  
**In less than a half hour, the five were let through heavy carved gates and were on their way up the curving streets through the city to reach the very top level, where the White Tower and King's House stood.  
  
As Aragorn led them to the doors of the House, Arwen looked over her future home, knowing she would adjust just fine. The city was very beautiful, all of bright white stone, its buildings towering high and behind it was Mount Mindolluin, the eastern end of the White Mountains. A weight of dread lifted from her heart upon reaching the massive location, where it was said to be the safest place in Middle-earth and no longer would she have to worry over her friends' well being.  
  
Inside, they met with a man, whose appearance reminded them of someone they had known recently.  
  
"Welcome home, my lord." Faramir clasped hands with the newly crowned king of his home. "I should let you know that Gandalf has gone. Only the Dwarf and Halflings remain."  
  
"Oh? Wonder where to this time." Aragorn muttered, taking off all his gear and setting it down on the table nearest him in the large foyer.  
  
The young steward considered this with a small shrug and continued. "However, he does send well wishes to your recovered companions."  
  
At their mention, Aragorn turned back to the waiting she-Elves and thought he ought to start introducing. "_This_ is the Steward of Gondor and his lady, Eowyn, niece of the late King Theoden of Rohan."  
  
Those across them smiled warmly over.  
  
"I am Faramir," He more properly introduced himself to the fair lady Elves. "Son of the late Denethor and younger brother of the late Boromir." With the same length of red hair on his head and just as much facial hair, they could see how much resemblance he had to the man of Gondor that had journeyed with the Fellowship and made it no further than Amon Hen.  
  
"Just as Legolas is, these are my old friends, Landailyn of Mirkwood, Thalawen of Rivendell and this is Arwen, Princess of Rivendell."  
  
They both had heard the king speak of his beloved before and knew exactly who she was by now. And Eowyn finally got to take in a look at the woman that had given Aragorn the jeweled necklace he always wore. But Faramir was the man she loved now, even if it was not the first she laid eyes upon that she fell in love with.  
  
The couple nodded respectively to the newcomers.  
  
"I will retrieve the maidservants to show them rooms?" Offered Faramir.  
  
"That would be much appreciated." Sighed Aragorn. He was tired and didn't care if it was showing, and a pounding headache he had recently developed did nothing to help.  
  
After Faramir and Eowyn had slipped through a door and were gone, Arwen stepped up to him, bringing down the hand that rested on his forehead, into her own. "And why don't you lay down, my love. You could use the rest. I believe all of us could use a little more."  
  
An actual bed did sound more than inviting at the moment.  
  
Aragorn didn't bother to protest. He knew it would do no good with three other stubborn Elves staring at him with gazes as though advising him to listen. He nodded and gathered his things.  
  
The two new guests and new resident were shown up to their readied bedrooms. Thalawen and Landailyn in their own two, several doors apart, and Arwen in Aragorn's where she would be sleeping from now on. In these rooms, the three were then provided with a beautiful dress each and soft slip-on shoes to change into, the maids taking their traveling clothes to be cleaned and returned later. After washing up, the older Noldor Elf and Silvan Elf emerged from their rooms meeting back in the otherwise empty hallway.  
  
"Well, look at us." They heard a voice down the hall to their right. It was Arwen, almost floating toward them in her grace to join the friends side by side. All glanced down at themselves and admired one another's apparel.  
  
Arwen's was a simple bright white, the shoulders and sleeves a see-through gray.  
  
Thalawen's shimmered three different shades of purple, its long draping sleeves also see-through and a thin silky ribbon tied around her waist.  
  
Landailyn's was purely black, silver hinting the neckline, just above the elbows and at the waist.  
  
The sisters' dark hair was straight down as usual; however, all of Landailyn's was fixed in a single tight braid down her back.  
  
"It's good to be out of those travel garments and boots." She added, as they continued on their way, turning the same direction she had come and toward a staircase that led them down back into the main hall.  
  
Landailyn and Thalawen chuckled, as they preferred to be in such clothes rather than these elegant dresses.  
  
Several yards from the House, they traveled to Merethrond, the Hall of Feasts, for the evening's supper. They entered to find everyone sitting around a long wooden table, at least twenty chairs surrounding it, but only nine were filled.  
  
Each of the men stood in respect of the women, gracing them with smiles at their dramatic change of appearance.  
  
The last time Legolas had seen Landailyn in a dress or her hair tied behind was when they were very young. It had been centuries ago, but he remembered the beautiful image of her clearly. And here it was again, right in front of him, as were the two other charming Elven maidens that she followed.  
  
Being seated, the trio of she-Elves enjoyed a hot, well-prepared meal for the first time in over a month.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
After the meal, the reunited couple excused themselves to go for a walk alone. Leaving the rest to enjoy one another's company.  
  
"Look at them," said Arwen as she and Aragorn leaned over the railing of the upper floor of the Hall, looking down on their friends as they sat around the large dining table. "They look as happy as can be, as if nothing ever happened between them all." Sadness took root in her eyes. "I wish…I don't know what I wish," she spoke in a weary tone.  
  
Below, Legolas had obviously said something of hilarity; the two she-Elves were gripping their sides in unison, beating their free fists on the table. She could hear the sounds of their laughter drifting up to her and Aragorn's ears.  
  
"What happened between them was for a reason, you cannot deny that," Aragorn said quietly. "If Thalawen fell in love with Legolas, then it was obviously meant, for I know Thala well and as long as I've known her, she has loved no one in that way."  
  
The laughter was drowned out by their thoughts, by their conversation of their friends. "That cannot be. Maybe Saruman put a spell on Thalawen the day she and Legolas met, and it has yet to wear away." Arwen knew this to be far-fetched and so did Aragorn.  
  
"You're reaching, my love."  
  
Frowning, she turned back to watch her friends. "I know." They looked like children from their high perch; sitting huddled at one corner of the table, close as family, telling stories to make each other laugh. "I know now what it is that I wish."  
  
"What is it?" asked Aragorn cautiously.  
  
She took a deep breath and continued. "I wish that Thalawen had never met Legolas. I was wrong that day, in leaving her alone. I knew he was watching her ever so closely and I toyed with it, made her confront him in her loneliness." She blew out a sigh. Confession was always hard. "I should never have played on her feelings when she was weak."  
  
"Dear, you could not have known that she would begin to love him!"  
  
"You don't understand," she whispered. "That is what I wanted. I know her well, as well as I know myself. I _did_ know she'd fall in love."  
  
"How could you know," Aragorn asked, skepticism clear on his face.  
  
"Because," she paused, not sure if she should go on.  
  
Aragorn nudged her arm.  
  
"Because, when we were children, she spoke of a dream she'd had; of a man with long, flowing blonde hair, sparkling, sky blue eyes. I knew of whom she spoke, even when she did not."  
  
"Ha, that is the silliest thing I've ever heard." Aragorn began to chuckle good-naturedly.  
  
A withering glance from Arwen made it cease.  
  
They both looked back down at the friends, at what their relationships would have been, had love not entered into the mix. They did look happy at this moment, all three of them, but they're appearance on the outside disguised the problem they knew that each one struggled with deep down.  
  
And even when both she-Elves knew exactly how the other felt, they did not let it get in the way of their friendship, which in fact Arwen was grateful for, but she also knew that Legolas had only feelings for one of them._  
  
  
_*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*_  
  
  
_The next few weeks were relatively peaceful. The she-Elf trio journeyed often down into the markets in the city, looking for nothing in particular, but buying small trinkets and jewelry nonetheless.  
  
Arwen had procured a rather lovely amethyst teardrop necklace for Thalawen, which she planned to present to her on her two thousand eight hundred ninety-fifth birthday this year. She had no idea what Thalawen would think of the jewel, as she'd never worn any charms on her person before, but Arwen secretly hoped her money had been spent well.  
  
"What have you got there, Arwen?" asked Landailyn curiously, as she met her friend between corner shops. Landailyn was also holding a small object wrapped carefully in dull brown paper.  
  
"Oh, umm, nothing," Arwen replied quickly, hiding her own brown wrapped box behind her back. "It's…nothing," she said, shaking her head.  
  
Landailyn peered at Arwen bizarrely. Raising one delicate dark eyebrow at her friend, she asked again, "What is it? Now you absolutely _must_ tell me."  
  
A frown appeared on Arwen's mouth. She looked from side to side; making sure a certain someone was nowhere near enough to hear her next words. "Do you promise not to tell?" she asked in a whisper.  
  
Leaning down to Arwen's height, Landailyn spoke in a whisper too, seemingly unable to keep the giggles from her voice. "Absolutely!"  
  
Arwen looked at her doubtfully.  
  
"Okay, okay, I promise," Landailyn said soberly.  
  
"It's a gift for Thala's birthday that's in three months."  
  
Landailyn squealed at this, "Ooh! Can I see it?" She expectantly held out her hand, as Arwen was about to have a conniption.  
  
"Will you keep it down? You promised!" If she could've yelled, she would have yelled at the top of her lungs, but, as they were standing in the middle of a street with passersby looking at them strangely, she kept her alarm to a minimum.  
  
Throwing a hand over her mouth, Landailyn silently promised to speak no more. "Not another word," she mumbled through her closed lips and hand.  
  
"What?" asked Arwen. She shook her head, "Never mind, I don't care, just keep your voice down." With that said, she took the package from behind her back, cautiously unwrapped the paper, opened the slim box that contained the necklace, and revealed it to Landailyn.  
  
Above her hand, Landailyn's eyes were huge, round blue orbs. Cooing could be heard from behind her tightly closed fingers.  
  
"What in the Valar are you saying, Landy?" asked Arwen, getting angry with her friend.  
  
Landailyn's eyes shot back up to Arwen's, and then looked embarrassedly to the ground. Slowly she uncovered her mouth. "Sorry." She looked once more to the necklace. "May I touch it?"  
  
Arwen shrugged. "Sure, be my guest."  
  
Landailyn's tentative finger was no more than a scant inch from the charm, when they both heard a voice.  
  
"What have you got there?"  
  
The snap of the metal box was deafening and Landailyn almost cried out; her finger could have been chopped off in a heartbeat! Shoving the box behind both their backs, Arwen and Landailyn now standing very close together, turned to meet their friend.  
  
"Arwen?" asked Thalawen, eyeing her friends strangely.  
  
"Yes?" Arwen replied, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"What have you got?"  
  
"Nothing," Landailyn and Arwen said in unison.  
  
Thalawen scrutinized her friends. "Right. Okay, well, I'm going to go back to the House." She rubbed her temple, making slow circles with her forefinger. "I've got a headache, so I'll see you at supper?"  
  
"Yes," her friends said again.  
  
When Thalawen had gone from their sight, they looked at one another, and blew out a breath of relief.  
  
"That was close," said Landailyn.  
  
Arwen nodded in agreement. "Yes, I know. She almost saw the necklace."  
  
"No! I'm talking about my finger!" Landailyn brought her digit up to inspect the tip. "It was almost lopped off by that blasted box!"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Arwen led the way back up to the King's House.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Here we go again with another character change in Landailyn! But don't get me wrong, I always like what Thala writes, even about me! ;)  
Hmmm, well there's gonna be more chapters than I thought! LOL Reading what we have done, it's like a whole other story now! You'll see what I mean when it's ended! Anyway, have any of you played the Return of the King game yet? I got it for the Playstation 2! I love it! And I went and seen the Matrix Revolutions yesterday too! Some of it wasn't like I thought it was gonna be, but it was awesome nonetheless!


	17. Chapter 17

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 17**  
  
  
Sitting, waiting, wondering, contemplating, seeing.  
  
Thalawen allowed herself this time, to open herself in the place she most loathed; darkness. The one object that Thalawen felt has as much a soul as she herself. In this cubbyhole of a room she let her mind wander, let it light upon things that needed to be known; questions that needed answers.  
  
Would there be more trouble from Mordor? Even though the Ring had been destroyed, Sauron's minions were still at large, roaming Middle-earth; entities with no masters. Would they strive to complete their dead and defeated master's wishes? Or would they simply fade back into the darkness; back into the pits from which they were born? There were answers, right before her, if she could only control her power of foresight.  
  
Images wandered deftly through her mind, a swirling black pit of seething evil. She was within the enemy's gates, but which way to turn, where to go?  
  
A sudden face, features blurred, came to her. Black mass of hair, pale pale skin, as white as the caps of the mountains. Then, blood red, gushing as a river would flow through rapids. Spattered blood, smeared blood of a being washing away, leaving the owner cold as stone and just as lifeless.  
  
Thalawen screamed into her hand, tremors ran rampant throughout her body, uncontrolled. Weeping, she cleansed herself of the image at hand, but it would never fully leave her, always stored at the back of her thoughts. She fell to the floor as if the falling-sickness were upon her. Crying, her tears unabashed hidden in the darkness of the solitary room.  
  
The tears soaked into the rug upon the floor, possibly traveling deep into the wood beneath. She buried her face in her palms and tried to calm, to soothe her own fears, much in the same way her mother and grandmother, even as Arwen had often done.  
  
Regulating her breathing, she sat up once more. She had not found the answer she had been looking for. At least not the ones she was expecting.  
  
A soft knock on the door made her jump, taking her breath away once more. "Yes?" She asked, but obviously not loud enough, she realized she'd been whispering.  
  
"Thala? Are you in there?"  
  
"Yes. Who is it?" Her voice seemed foreign to her, as if it were not coming from her, but as if someone were standing right behind her, using her as the puppet in a ventriloquist's show.  
  
When the door opened she had not in the least expected it to be Legolas. "Are you alright, Thala?"  
  
A small sigh escaped her constricted chest, but it loosened more quickly at the sight of him. "I am now," She spoke true. "What are you doing here?" She inquired.  
  
"I heard something from this room." He was still half through the doorway. "May I come in?"  
  
"Yes, yes of course," She felt foolish for not inviting him in, but it soon passed. Thalawen picked herself up off the floor and went to light some candles.  
  
Full darkness had finally fallen while in the midst of her trance.  
  
"Thalawen, are you sure you're all right? What were you doing in the dark?" He was puzzled by coming into her room; seeing her on the floor, surrounded by the shadows she loathed.  
  
Hearing her full name come from his lips warmed a part of her heart that only belonged to him. Having her back to him was convenient, he could not read the emotions on her face, but she no longer wished to hide. Hiding made her a coward, and she was a warrior, but above all else, she was a woman; a woman still in love with a man she could never have. "Did you know that I still love you, Legolas?" She turned around, finally confronting what she tried so hard to forget.  
  
The question caught him unawares and he was confused, but only for a moment. Then sadness for what could never be clouded his eyes. "No, I thought you loved me no more."  
  
"That is what I wanted you to think, so I could protect myself from being hurt by you, even though you did it unintentionally."  
  
Neither noticed they were speaking in whispers, nor that they had changed to Elvish.  
  
Legolas stepped forward, toward the maiden before him. Landailyn had been right, Thalawen loved him still, but it did not change how he felt about either of them. In being with them both, talking with them and just being around the two again, he knew now for sure of what he had questioned to his own heart only five months before. "I am sorry I do not feel the same." And this, one could tell, was truly meant. "Anything would I give to make you happy, Thalawen, but I cannot make it so."  
  
A silent tear trickled toward her chin. "This much is true. This much I have known," Her voice shook with the effort of speech.  
  
Legolas wiped her tear away with his thumb. "For what do you lament? That we can't be together, or for something that is unknown to me?"  
  
She eluded his questions and tried to block the haunting images in her vision that no one should ever have to see, but soon, many would witness the vision come to life and before that time she wanted to make this known to him alone.  
  
"It seems I have loved you my whole life, ere even I met you, which is true, but I just wanted to say..." She faltered, her voice failed her in this critical time of their relationship. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed out the words she longed to say. "I love you, Legolas, and I always will. Nothing will change my heart and I know I will forever be alone because of this." Looking deeply into his eyes she said it once more, to free her spirit of this trapped emotion. "I love you."  
  
And with each word more pain grew in his light blue eyes, until he could no longer look at her face, but stare at the floor below.  
  
"There is more fighting yet to come," This made his gaze snap back to hers. "And in that battle terrible things will be done, deeds which will have everlasting effects."  
  
With a slight start, Legolas realized the importance in these statements. "Did you see this? Is that what you were doing in here?" His questions whipping out as much as a general's.  
  
She shook her head to shew away what she considered unimportant queries. "I just wanted you to know that in this fight to come, I will protect you."  
  
He felt he would have laughed at this if she had not looked so serious. "What about you?"  
  
"That doesn't matter now. Just know that you are safe. I will forever be watching you." With that said, she went out of her room to go in search of Arwen, leaving Legolas behind, dumbfounded and utterly confused.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"I watch them sail for Valinor and know I'll see them never-more. I stay behind with the light of a thousand torches; it is my body that fire scorches. Can I find my way home, or will I forever be alone, here..." Thalawen silently mumbled this song of old in the Elvish tongue in which it was taught to her by her grandmother._  
  
_Interrupting, a knock echoed loudly off the walls in the large open space of her room.  
  
Thalawen sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed and looked wearily over at the door, hoping it was not the prince filled with another twenty questions she did not want to answer. "Come in."  
  
Hesitantly, Landailyn walked through. "How are you doing?" She asked right away, the door creaking behind her as it was being shut.  
  
The Noldor Elf gave a small one shouldered shrug. "I'm fine..."  
  
Landailyn barely nodded, her attention suddenly lost in her thoughts. Snapping her eyes upward only when Thalawen's voice was drowning them out.  
  
"By the way, that was some good timing you had on that ship. I knew not how long those men would have kept away from Arwen. Good plan too."  
  
"Thanks. I'm certainly glad you came when you did as well, I would not have been able to hang onto that cliff edge...Faeroth would have made sure of that. And Thala, you cannot prevent every minor or major thing that happens to Arwen." She glanced down at her hands, lowering her voice. "I know; I've tried." Landailyn remembered the time of taking Thalawen's place during their conflict with Saruman.  
  
Thalawen remained voiceless to this statement, rising and venturing out onto her stone carved balcony into the darkening atmosphere of the day. She knew that Landailyn was right, but she was not ready to face this truth and it was more than hard to admit it to herself, let alone other people. "Something doesn't feel right, Landailyn." She glanced over at the blonde Elf that had followed her. "Can you not sense it? The air is heavy when it should be transparent; however, it hangs on me like the weighty water of morning dew upon fragile leaves." This was uttered under Thalawen's breath as she leaned over the balustrade of the small balcony.  
  
Looking Thalawen up and down, studying her as if she would study a bug under glass, Landailyn finally spoke what was on her mind. "Maybe you are just nervous because of all the things that have happened to us in the past. Do not go places expecting trouble to follow you, Thala. You cannot live like that," She criticized, wanting the Elf not to look out so much for others, but to take care of herself once in a while. She had become tired of the way Thalawen was constantly on guard, always looking after she and Arwen, always looking over her shoulder like she expected an Orc to jump out at her at any moment. Her never-ending vigilance was the source of Landailyn's annoyance.  
  
Even if at times she did the same things, it was not constant, or so she believed.  
  
"Can you not relax, just this once, and enjoy what is going on around us?" she asked angrily. "Aragorn and Arwen are so happy together and instead of celebrating their plans to soon be wed, you pretend to be happy and spend your time watching the grounds. I have not seen you in three days!" With that said she started toward the door. "When you want to socialize again, Thala, you know where to find your friends!" And she slammed the hinged slab of wood behind her.  
  
Thalawen could hear her boots padding down the hallway away from her room, as the Elf stalked off, not bothering to hide her anger and annoyance from others.  
  
It was true, she had barely come out of her room since she had developed that 'headache' in the market three days before.  
  
Silently, she put her head in her hands and covered her face to block the memory of Landailyn's angry face; her angry words. What had caused her mood to change so abruptly? Before she had seemed fine with Thalawen's protectiveness.  
  
Suddenly, distant crying and shouting alerted her sharp hearing. Horns sounded from somewhere on the House, above the level she was on.  
  
Thalawen looked up and surveyed the land that stretched far and wide before her, dread knotting and twisting in the pit of her stomach.  
  
It had begun. Three days later, her vision had finally shown itself.  
  
"Please not today..." She whispered, but she knew her prayers were for naught, as soon as she saw the distant sight of a dark thirty-foot wide army.  
  
**  
TBC ...**  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
Oh no! You were almost right, Sarah! It wasn't a cat fight, but Landy did just yell at Thalawen! Hope no one thinks _too_ ill of her for that! LOL She's just not having a good day again! ;)  
  
**Thala :**  
When 'falling-sickness' is mentioned in this chapter, it refers to Epilepsy and the seizures that come with this disease. As I have no idea as to whether they had this disease, being men I'm pretty sure they did as its present in every civilization, but I've never read or heard about it. So, I'm going to stick with what the Romans called Julius Caesar's Epileptic seizures: 'falling-sickness'.  


	18. Chapter 18

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 18  
  
  
**Landailyn's footsteps ceased on the granite titled flooring, her eyes peering upward at the ceiling. These horns that were blearing from the outside did not sound favorable. Noise of living beings soon erupted from below her and she went to the railing of the open corridor to see that workers from the court had poured into the main hall. Her eyes swept over the panicking group for the only one who could tell her what was going on.  
  
Another day that was just not going well for her.  
  
Tall double doors flew open from the right; Aragorn stepped out with Faramir, Eowyn and Arwen on either side of him.  
  
Landailyn bounded down the stairs and passed through the crowd to get to the emerged four. "Aragorn!" She called above the frightened jumbled talk of the surrounding Humans. "Aragorn, what is going on?"  
  
His eyes set sadly upon her presence and Legolas some feet behind her, who was coming to join them. "I have been informed that Uruk-hai have entered through the Great Gates."  
  
Somehow, no one knew for sure, but somehow these Uruk-hai had passed the two secured walls enclosing the White City and were marching upward to meet with the top level where set the building they knew should be the King's House.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
This group did not feel exactly right to Thalawen in the least. The army was only large enough to accomplish little destruction and chaos, nothing more and certainly nothing less.  
  
She ran from her balcony, gathering her weapons on the way, then out the door of her room, and down the stairs where she met up with her companions. Fear was in everyone's eyes, but in Thalawen's the most.  
  
Upon all returned to the large foyer in the correct armed attire, the five: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Thalawen, and Landailyn prepared to go out and meet the approaching forces head on.  
  
"Be careful!" Arwen called, still standing with Faramir and Eowyn and now the Hobbits, watching as her friends went to war. She only stayed behind for Aragorn, as he'd pleaded with her to do so once he'd received word of the intrusion. He would do everything possible to keep her from danger.  
  
Legolas eyed Thalawen, who kept her gaze straight ahead as they walked out into the fading evening light. She knew this would happen; this is the fighting she had been talking about a few nights before.  
  
For Thalawen, the vision she'd had replayed in her mind, spreading gooseflesh over her skin. This was it; this is what she had been training in weaponry for a lifetime for. None around her knew what would happen this day, none but her. She wished with all her heart that she too, were ignorant in the coming battle like the rest.  
  
As one, the five stepped onto the front steps of the House and looked down the long lines of Gondor's own gathered forces.  
  
In the distance,_ everyone _could hear them, Elven or not, coming up the tunnel way.  
  
Aragorn's soldiers were spread at the base of the structure, facing the oncoming opponents. They would protect their home and new king, no matter the cost. With a strong encouraging leader to follow, who they trusted, they felt they had enough hope to hold out.  
  
Being swift, he walked down the steps leading toward his captain of arms, having a quick hushed conversation with him. "Hold fire!" The king then called to those who stood in front with readied bows.  
  
The three Elves at the top landing stood side by side; their own bows drawn and knocked, fully ready for the battle to begin. And Gimli stood stoutly next to Legolas with his tall double-edged axe in both hands.  
  
The Orcs and Uruk-hai at last reached the highest part of the grounds, the Citadel, where in the middle stood the White Tower of Ecthelion. They spread out everywhere, still running at full speed, apparently careless that a legion of Humans were getting ready to rein destruction upon them.  
  
Letting them get just close enough, Aragorn's voice filled the warm evening air. "Fire!"  
  
Hundreds of arrows answered the battle cries of the horrendous beings.  
  
Black blood spilled over stone, and soon mortal wounds would open to let red join it.  
  
The Gondorians charged into the mess, and the five companions following were easily separated, swallowed up by the crowding Uruk-hai. It was difficult to see one another. To see passed the bodies, as when one was hewn to the ground, another replaced it within seconds, or it simply got back up for more. This caused every warrior present to fight twice as fast with more force and strength behind it. Those unable to keep up didn't last long.  
  
Though someway, one of them managed the whole time to keep an eye on all her friends, especially the prince; but she would keep them all safe if she could, no matter the cost. But now something drew that attention away.  
  
The Elves could sense them before they came into anyone's sight. Screeching, along with the deep pulsing whoosh of a disturbance among the still air.  
  
Thalawen had no idea it would come to this.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Within the walls of the House, the Hobbits, Arwen, the Steward and his wife, all listened and waited. The noise from the outside was both tremendous and formidable. Those inside could clearly hear swords clanging, Humans and Orcs screaming and shouting and soon rumbles of explosions and stone crumbling, as parts of buildings were destroyed.  
  
And their friends were out in the middle of it all.  
  
Catching the arm of a passing servant, Faramir gave a few inaudible orders and the woman rushed off. The Steward remained facing the doors, sighing. He knew what perils lay beyond them, but he had no choice.  
  
Turning back, he took in the wondering stares upon him, and began to explain his actions. "I will take the six of you to the White Tower. There you will be safer than in here; then I must come back and see to the rest. Let us go!" Grabbing hold of Eowyn, he opened one of the entrance doors a crack with his free hand, peering out at the scene. Once the path seemed clear, he threw it back and bolted toward the steps. "Come!" He called behind him, as if the rest needed to be persuaded to move to a place of safety.  
  
Nearing the bottom of the stair, Frodo simply stopped where he was, Merry and Pippin almost running into him.  
  
"Mr. Frodo?" Asked Sam, glancing skyward for what had suddenly taken Frodo's watchfulness from the exceedingly dangerous area surrounding them.  
  
"Not again..." He said at average volume and even it was hard to hear. He had thought the Wraiths were gone when the Ring had been destroyed. But it wasn't true; they were here, _all_ on winged beasts this time. But Frodo didn't bother to count them, their presence was enough to frighten the life right out of him and in a panic he did what only he could think of when it came to the sight and nearness of these creatures.  
  
"Mr. Frodo!" Sam yelled, as he had just taken off without them.  
  
But instead of going straight when reaching the last step, he went left; the wrong direction.   
  
"Come back!" Continued Sam, darting down after him.  
  
At the raised voice of one of those he was supposed to be taking care of, Faramir turned back halfway to the tower.   
  
Merry and Pippin were catching up, calling out their trouble.   
  
The Steward then pointed toward the tower, before turning to go aid Sam. "Quickly! Stay in there and hold the doors, all of you!"  
  
  
**TBC …  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
  
mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**We _know_ that the Nazgul are _all_ suppose to be gone by this point in time, but we _need_ them! LOL And we have only brought eight into the battle, as we are implying that the Witch King was definitely suppose to be destroyed in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.  
Sorry, I would have posted this chapter yesterday, but we had a huge storm go through and I couldn't get on the net. And then it really made me mad cuz' I couldn't go get the Two Towers extended DVD! :(  
And yes, we are getting the chapters up faster now. Like Thala said some time ago, we were just having trouble with the middle of the story like on Shadow in the Trees, but fortunately now that has passed! Also for those wondering how much longer this is gonna be, I can't really say at this time how many more chapters! But it will make it a few past 20, I assure you all!  
Oh that's cool, Maya! Congratulations on moving out! I wanna move out of my parent's house so bad! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 19**  
  
  
Landailyn had witnessed only two Hobbits, Arwen and Eowyn enter the inside of the tall stone tower. But she didn't know if anyone else had gone in before or after the little group. She realized they were without any real protection and went northward for the narrow building to check in on them.  
  
The clapping of hooves on hard rock rounded her to find an abandoned, copper brown stallion running from the eruptions of fire in fright  
  
Catching a thick tassel on the horse's decorated armor as it zoomed by, she almost effortlessly pulled herself up into the saddle and steered it in the direction she wanted. Finding that it obeyed easily, she took her hands off the reins and used her bow to take down any Orcs in the path.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Thalawen could see one of the Hobbits. It was Frodo; he had tripped and fallen to the ground, convulsing as if an invisible being was beating him. His screaming was of agony, but she could do nothing to help him in his fear of the creatures that had come. Without warning, the short man jumped back up and ran behind the House walls, out of her line of vision; along with who she thought looked like Sam and Faramir following.  
  
She had not foreseen the arrival of eight Wraiths, especially on wings. The Fell Beasts that they rode upon were the things of someone's worst fears. Small children had bad dreams, scary images, nightmares, but as a child, she had never dreamt of monsters such as these. The beings atop them were enough to make one shriek and run automatically in the opposite direction, but she would fight them, as she had fought the Uruks, to protect her friends; her family.  
  
As a Nazgul rider swooped down she pulled her bow from her back, and knocked an arrow to stop the Fell Beast's master.  
  
The arrow's aim was true and it ripped through the thick black fabric, jabbing, digging its way into the flesh of the being. It cried as it jerked the reins of the beast and it went to soar back up into the sky to circle the grounds.  
  
Orcs on the ground now had their own bows out, letting volleys of arrows fly toward the King's House.  
  
One arrow unfortunately shot past Thalawen's cheek, the feathers cutting a deep gash into the soft unblemished skin, and the force of it made her fall to her knees.  
  
This was not good.  
  
On their way toward the tower, ducking and dodging the sailing shafts, someone on horseback stopped by her side. "Thala!" Landailyn cried above the chaos, reaching down to jerk on her friend's upper arm. "You must get up! Please!" She helped Thalawen to her feet and seeing that she was okay, she rode swiftly on her way to protect Arwen and the rest.  
  
Jumping down from her seat atop the loyal steed, she bolted up the stairs, only to have a massive Uruk-hai leap out in front of her on the very top step.  
  
Turning in a circle, Thalawen saw Legolas a few yards away battling his own Uruk. She scanned the grounds more, wearily looking up to see all eight of the Nazgul atop Fell Beasts, screeching in that horrible manner. She looked again back to Legolas, but something was wrong. He was bending down, doubled over by something.  
  
Panic rushed through her brain and made her run to him, killing Orcs on her way to his side.  
  
When she arrived, she pulled him up. "What's happened, Legolas? Are you alright?" she asked in a rush.  
  
Looking down, she saw his hand covered in blood, the shaft of an arrow going straight through the center; he'd already broken off the tip.  
  
He was about to pull it out, and simply go back to fighting, when he heard a strange sound come from Thalawen. It was so abnormal and it made no sense to him that she should make a sound like that.  
  
But there, she did it again. That same utterance, almost a cry for something, but he knew not what.  
  
He then looked into her eyes, but they were blank, seeing nothing, or possibly seeing everything, as if for the last time. Legolas saw her mouth open a tiny crack; a line of blood escaped the dark depths of that line, dripping down her chin and staining her tunic. It was then her eyes met his and she put her arms around him to stand straight.  
  
And only when he put his arms around her body to stabilize her, did he felt the shafts of two arrows, dug deep into her torso. "No, Thalawen! No!" he screamed.  
  
Two silent tears dropped from her lashes, mingling with the blood on her jaw. Everything around them seemed to progress into slow motion; except for the final exchange of their farewells. She ran a finger into his blonde hair, touched a braid, and traveled its length to the tip. Bringing her hand back up once again, she touched his cheek, down to his lips. "I love you, Legolas."  
  
This time it was he who cried, his tears pouring from his blue eyes.  
  
"Do not cry. Shh, now, everything will be fine," she whispered breathlessly.  
  
At this, he cried more; even in death, she still comforted him, even while she died for him, she still soothed his heart and his mind. She uttered again, "Everything will be fine."  
  
Legolas did not hear the reverberations of the beast's wings as it dropped lower to the earth, as it stretched forth its foot full of talons. Without another word said, Thalawen was ripped out of his arms, high into the sky. He fell to his knees and screamed his anguish as he watched her face, as he watched her eyes watching him.  
  
As the rider left, the other seven followed, seeming that they had finally gotten what they came for.  
  
Seeing the Nazgul leave, the Orcs began pulling back as well.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Landailyn downed the Orc that stood in her way, its heavy lifeless body rolling down the steps behind her, as she moved onward to enter through the tower doors. But the moment she stepped a single foot upon the landing in front of them, a screaming caught her ears at careful attention. But this loudness was not coming from the Wraiths above, it was a mortal voice, or rather another immortal voice when she finally figured out whose it was, though she failed to realize the exact words that it had formed.  
  
Legolas.  
  
She turned back on a scene that released a strong surge of panic and fear within her. The prince was on his knees, blood covering his hands, an arrow shaft through one of them. "Legolas!" She ran to his side, kneeling and tipping his face up for a look, utterly surprised to see glistening streaks from his eyes drawing lines down to his jaw.  
  
She could tell that his trouble filled gaze was not the pain from his wounded hand, it was something else overpowering that pain and making him act this silent saddened way. Grief. It was the only other thing she could determine coming from within the blue depths.  
  
She looked up around them to see if the path to the House was cleared.  
  
Indeed the enemy seemed to be backing off and were leaving. Done destroying the area. Even the Nazgul were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Come!" Landailyn helped him up with little effort, finding it even easier when he had not protested in any way. Up the fifteen stone steps, they made it safely into the entrance hall once more. With the Orcs retreating it was safe to be in the building once again.  
  
Sitting him on the bottom few stairs that led to the second level, she ran to find something for his injury. On the way back she heard a half stifled cry, as he tore the rest of the wooden shaft from the small hole now in his palm.  
  
"Let me see it." Hastily she bound around it a cloth three times tightly and tied it off. "That ought to hold it for now, I promise I'll care for it soon. Stay here; you're in shock. I'm going to help Thala and the others outside, alright?"  
  
He shook his head. "Thalawen...you can't...you cannot help her..." He had stopped crying for the moment, trying to catch his breath. "She's...gone." His still unbelieving eyes trailed to the floor in front of him.  
  
Landailyn's wide eyes had changed from apprehensive to just plain horrified. Surely in his state of shock the Elf prince didn't know what he was talking about. "Legolas, look at me...what do mean 'gone'?"  
  
But he only stared at his unwounded hand, knowing it was Thalawen's blood that covered it; not his own. "Arrows. She was shot...in the back, by two, I think...a Fell Beast took her body." With this he looked up at her as if he were a lost, confused child.  
  
The grief she had seen earlier was still there and what he was saying now must be its cause.  
  
Neither realized that the battling outside had completely diminished now, leaving silence, no more of its sounds drifting to their unfocused ears.  
  
The Elf opposite him nodded and inhaled deeply to try and calm herself from the urges her own shocked mind and body were building up inside from the information. "Then...they will most likely be taking her to..." She stopped to think, searching her mind for the places in Middle-earth the Nazgul might have gone from the White City. And then it came to her, the Tower of Black Sorcery, Minas Morgul, once called Minas Ithil in the Second Age, stood leagues across the Anduin within the Mountains of Shadow. "Minas Morgul," She rose from her squatting position. "And if I started now, I could get there by..."  
  
"Landailyn..." He stood swiftly, as she turned to head for the doors, grabbing her left wrist and pulling her back toward him. This was nothing like when she was taken from Mirkwood down to Isengard; this was much different. It was no use to go after her; he knew that Thalawen was dead by now, gone forever. He wrapped his arms around the guard captain, making her rest her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry." His voice was strained.  
  
"No, I have to find her...!" She choked out, trying unsuccessfully to stop the wet torrents from her eyes. "Legolas, I have to go...!" She tried another attempt to pull away, but it was weak.  
  
"Shhh..."  
  
Realization hit her as to what Legolas was trying to say in not so many words. It was eminently painful, as the teardrops fell harder and harder. Landailyn sank to her knees and Legolas with her; his hold on her becoming tighter, succumbing to his own urge to let his emotions flow freely once more.  
  
Unbroken silence around them had filled the empty hall until now, when Aragorn entered with Gimli close behind. He took in the sight with confusion and rising fear. He stared for a minute, blinking, never having seen this emotion so highly in either of the Wood-Elves before. So what horrible thing could have happened to do this to his best friends?  
  
The Dwarf beside him was even more at a loss, but kept any comments he might have had to himself and let them grieve for whomever it was they were obviously grieving for.  
  
The king hated more than anything to interrupt, listening to Landailyn's heart-wrenching sobs against the prince's chest, but Legolas had looked up at him with sorrow filled eyes and yet said nothing to his friends' questioning gazes. Aragorn wished the Elf would say something, as the sight of drying blood on his hands was beginning to alarm him greatly. "What...?" The man shook his head, trying to understand.  
  
Legolas looked down and then up again; finally his mouth formed the hurtful words, as he swallowed hard. "Thalawen, she is dead."  
  
Aragorn's mouth gaped open. If he lived to be a century old he would never have imagined this and his dejected expression was unlike his Elven friend had ever seen on him before. He nodded slowly, not meeting Legolas' eyes. "I should...go to Arwen." He said quietly, feeling he needed to be the one to tell her if she didn't already know and tore off without another word, leaving Gimli to stand-alone near the entrance.  
  
The stout Dwarf had been leaning on his axe, but eventually walked sadly back outside to sit on the steps there.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Ahhhh! Please don't hurt us! We know it's sad, but it was my co-writer's choice and she wanted her character to be killed off. Sorry about that! Hope no one thinks we've ruined the story now! :( And if you read Thala's long review answering to everyone else's...you might see that she gave a warning to chapter 18 about not hating us...well, that was suppose to be for this chapter! She thought it was 18 that her character died in! :) And that's why we needed the Nazgul, perhaps not all eight though…LOL!  
*sigh* And now my character is alone again. Yes, she still has Legolas, Arwen, Aragorn and the twins...but take a look at this from Shadow in the Trees when she gets Ezril for Thalawen:**  
_"I plan on giving him to Thalawen," She said, turning back to give it attention. "I noticed that she did not have a mount and when I saw this one...it was different from the others, like she is." The latter came softer, because Landailyn had never had any female friends back home, none that were like herself that had the interests she did. Even Arwen wasn't and had never been as much like her, as Thalawen was._**  
See? Hmmm...so now the rest of the story is just going to be my character and mostly me writing it. Thala is gonna write some for Arwen though. 


	20. Chapter 20

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 20**_  
  
  
_"Arwen?"  
  
"My love!" The Elf princess watched as the worn man stepped into the ground room of the White Tower. Running to meet him half way and finding that he fared well with no injury, she hugged him. But when she pulled away, she could see in the gray eyes she stared into that the retreating forces Faramir had reported to her held no joy over him. "What is wrong? How are the others?"  
  
He looked away. How could he tell her what he knew would break her heart? "Arwen, come here."  
  
No one else was around. Eowyn had taken leave with Faramir, and Merry and Pippin had slipped out to find Frodo and Sam, who the Steward had lost in the midst of the fighting. But Arwen kept to Aragorn's wishes this time, and stayed where it was safe, no matter how much she had hated it.   
  
Leading her up to the Steward's throne, he sat her down on it and knelt in front of her, placing his hands in hers and gripping them tightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came. Aragorn sighed slightly, resting his forehead down on her knees so that she could not see the hurt on his face.  
  
"Please, what is it?" She begged for him to just be out with it. To release this obviously painful news, whatever it was. When he did not answer, she began to fear the worst. "Aragorn, what about the others?" She realized this must be about not answering her earlier question and now put it more firmly. "How did they fare?"  
  
"Arwen, I cannot think of how to tell you this in an easier way..."  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"It's Thala, she...Legolas tells me that...she was killed in the battle." He let out the latter words quickly and quietly, looking down when he said this, but lifting his gaze back up, he found her staring unbelieving at him. As if her eyes were calling him an outright liar.   
  
But she knew deep down that Aragorn would never lie to her or go ahead and tell her something he didn't even know was for sure, especially over the subject it was.  
  
"What? No. No, it's not true. S-she cannot..." It had been a whole ten minutes since the battling had stopped and Arwen was in total shock of what had been the results at its end. It was as if her mind refused to believe the message her ears had sent it and she was verbally trying to argue with herself otherwise.  
  
The few who knew all wanted to refuse this, but reality had given them a taste of how cruel fate could be, even foreseen fate, as they would soon know it and they had no choice, but to accept it.  
  
Somehow, Arwen could feel now that a part of her heart had been torn away. "She is truly gone...?" This came out so low that Aragorn wondered if he would have even heard had he not been so near or if the question had been for him or asked simply to her own heart. Either way, she must have answered herself, for the tears began to roll heavily down her pale cheeks.  
  
The king remained idle in front of her, for the moment leaving her be. To see what he and others had already, but he was ready and willing to do anything for her if she needed him.  
  
"No…NO!"  
  
Her cries were afflictive to those who heard them, paining Aragorn's heart to its every last measure. But they did not last, as her voice suddenly quieted, though the tears fell just as quickly as before.   
  
"I want to see her." She stated, blinking many times to see the man before her more clearly. "Where is she? Take me to her, please!"  
  
"Arwen, I...I don't know where she is."  
  
"You said that," She sucked in a deep breath so she could continue speaking. "Legolas saw her. Perhaps he could tell us!"  
  
"Alright," He stood, taking her left hand and elbow into his own two hands to help her up. "We will go to him."  
  
Ignoring the part of her that seemed to have left, Arwen was trying to believe that once she got to Thalawen maybe they could still save her. She couldn't help but believe it, it was all she had to hold on to. Her sister could not be dead.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Legolas continued to hold Landailyn for as long as she needed. Or rather, more like _he_ needed. But after a while he pulled her back slightly. She did not raise her head at first, but he gave her time and soon she looked up into eyes that held an equivalent hue to her own.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Her words were Elvish.  
  
Her apology baffled the prince. "For what?"  
  
"This," She gestured toward her face and turned it to the side away from his view. Even if she was not usually ashamed in front of him, it was rare that she was so open about her feelings to anyone, only ever having broken down in front of her parents as a young girl, this was new to her and she wasn't sure she wanted him to be the one to see her this way.   
  
"No," He said firmly. "I will not let..." But his sentence was cut short with the distracting sound of footsteps from behind.  
  
Landailyn rose quickly to see Aragorn and Arwen appear in the doorway. Arwen looked much like she knew she herself only could. Soaked, red-rimmed eyes and flushed tear stained cheeks. The two women stared at one another, slightly panting, for what seemed like forever to the Human, but only a few seconds to the Elves.  
  
"Legolas," Arwen said suddenly, taking a few slow steps inward, as the prince finally stood up beside Landailyn. "Where is she?"  
  
The male Silvan Elf looked down, not sure what to say.  
  
"Please!" Arwen's always soft voice had raised, not to be heard, but to be demanding out of fear. "Please, Legolas!" She broke away from Aragorn, running up to him, grabbing tightly onto the short sleeves of his forest green jerkin. "You have to tell me!"  
  
Legolas stared sadly down into the princess' darker blue eyes, shaking his head.  
  
"But you saw her!"  
  
"Arwen, you know I would tell you if I could..."  
  
"What...what do you mean?" She breathed; the air passing inward and outward from her was shaky.  
  
Legolas closed his eyes for little more than a few seconds, as though he were trying to see what had happened, to remember it so he could tell them. But it was a sight he was never going to forget. "Her body was taken from me...in the clutches of a Nazgul's Fell Beast. But before that..." He quickly added, not wanting to get Arwen's hopes up. "She had been in front of me, I felt from her back...two Orcish arrows."  
  
Arwen stared up at him in horror, and the prince wished he could have put the description in a more gentle way. But how does one tell a friend about the death of someone they loved, gentle or not, without the explanation hurting them further?  
  
The young Half-Elf turned away. She couldn't breathe; there was nothing she could do, nothing anyone could do now. Her sister was just gone and that was it. Five steps later, down she went, falling to the floor.  
  
"Arwen!" Landailyn cried, rushing to the princess' side, joined soon by Aragorn and Legolas.  
  
"She's just fainted, it will be alright." Aragorn assured, checking her over himself, before calling for the maidservants to take her up to their room and put her in bed. Telling them he would be up soon, they watched as the women carried Arwen up the stairs. "Legolas, what happened to your hand?" Aragorn had turned back to the two Wood-Elves.  
  
Legolas held it up, merely glancing at it with unconcern. "Arrow." He slightly shrugged the word.  
  
"Just an arrow wound?" He replied, shaking his head and wishing his friends would take their injuries more seriously. "Come on," He placed his grip upon the prince's shoulder leading him toward the south wing of the House, only to stop half way. "Landailyn," He had noticed she hadn't even moved.  
  
Snapping out of her seeming trance, she looked across the distance at him. "I...I'm fine. Please, tend to his hand."  
  
Aragorn nodded solemnly, knowing she was telling the truth, as he could see nothing wrong with her physically, and continued out of the room with the prince.  
  
Quickly descending to the second floor, she first had to know if Arwen was still all right, and five minutes afterward, she was standing in the middle of the guestroom that her friend had occupied. Never would she forget the last conversation she and Thalawen had shared in this very place. She had been angry with her friend, a friend she knew now she would never see again. After all she, Thalawen, and Arwen had gone through, saving one another from the clutches of death, why had it ended like this? She would never even be able to tell Thalawen how sorry she now was.  
  
But more importantly, she thought, she would not forget all the _good _conversations they had ever had alone.  
  
And now she knew why Thalawen had been so jumpy. She had known they were in danger; she had foreseen it. Landailyn felt horrible for shouting at Thalawen for being so protective and on guard when she had had only the right to do so; when she had only been protecting the man they both loved.  
  
She took a deep breath, swallowing hard and backed up to sit heavily down on the bed. But instead of softness she felt, something stiff lie beneath her. Jumping up, she turned to see what sort of object she had sat on.   
  
Near the middle of the bed, almost completely hidden by the sheets, there lay an age-old brown, leather bound book. Pulling back the sheet, she estimated it almost a foot length ways and half a foot wide; the cover appeared worn and the page edges jagged.  
  
Very carefully she lifted it, afraid that if she handled it too much it would simply fall apart. Wondering how old it really was, she pulled the cover open and read the first entry; shocked at its date. Though it was not the year that caused her surprise, it was the day, for it was the very same.  
  
_Seventeenth of August, 258 of the Third Age  
  
A snotty little brat, that is what Lady Arwen is, and damn my soul to Morgoth if my grandmother expects me to befriend that wretch of a child.  
  
_Chuckling, Landailyn turned to the very last page, curious to see what last event Thalawen had written of. _  
  
Seventeenth of August, 3019 of the Third Age_  
  
_Blood. It comes from deep within, deep below the skin, the flesh of my bones. I know it comes from my person, me alone. How can I tell the others of what I see? How can I explain the inevitable death of one of their friends? How could I possibly tell Arwen?  
  
My sister, Arwen. So fair, so lovely. I was blessed in this life with family such as her. Even after my demise, I vow to protect her, now and forever. May she live a long and joyous life, may I relive mine through her future.  
  
Ah, the blood comes to me again. Whenever I close my eyes to sleep, even to blink; instead of black, it is the deep red of life. Should I tell the others? No, they are unable to save me, this I know it is either Legolas dies or I take his place. If I told they would surely try to interfere and I cannot take the chance that they may be hurt. Given the choice of Legolas or I, it is Legolas who must survive.  
  
I pray to Illuvatar that Arwen never finds this book. I also pray to Mandos that my spirit will travel safely to his halls. _  
  
Reading these Elvish written words, the last thoughts of her friend, left Landailyn staring at the back page a long while. Slowly, she closed it, blinking. If these indeed were Thalawen's last wishes, then Landailyn would make sure Arwen would never even know of this book. Legolas either, who felt bad enough as it was.  
  
She would take it with her when she left, for all three of them, but she didn't feel right to keep it herself, and there was only one person she could think of to give it to.  
  
Lord Elrond.   
  
Her mission set in her mind, to take leave for Rivendell as soon as she could, she blew out the candles in the room and went back to her own.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
All who wanted to see the twins again, there you go, cuz' Landy is going to Rivendell! And since we already had this all planned out, it's weird that you guys have been saying things in your reviews that happens to be what's to come! And thank you all very much for not hating us! LOL! We really are sorry for not giving Thalawen a guy and then killing her! We know you guys liked her, and we liked writing about her, so that's why we're trying to come up with a childhood story for she and Arwen! And yes, her death does work out since Arwen is staying and will die too, she will be able to be with her sister again spiritually.****


	21. Chapter 21

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 21**  
  
  
It had been a week now, since the enemy had forced its way into the limits of the White City. Destroying buildings and supplies and many lives.  
  
Well into the twenty-fourth night of August, Legolas found himself watching over Landailyn's sleeping form; lying on her back, stretched down the length of her bed. Her eyes were closed from being up the past week, helping day and night as much as she could with the damages and the injured soldiers and people of the city.  
  
They all had helped, even Arwen.  
  
Mostly the prince figured that not sleeping and being a constant volunteer took their minds off the recent tragedy, or perhaps just that they felt they could never sleep again. Yet here Landailyn was, for she had been working extra hard; working together with others to clear broken stone from the Citadel and making trip after trip down to the Houses of Healing; using what skills she possessed to take the places of other Human volunteers when they needed rest.   
  
But never sleeping again is exactly what he felt, and none of them had even witnessed the sight he had. No one had seen Thalawen dying before their eyes or being carried away by the enemy. For he feared he would relive it in his dreams, or by merely closing his eyes for longer than any few seconds.  
  
All the while he sat there, his mind wandered elsewhere, mostly over Thalawen. He had only had not wanted to lose her as a friend again, he never knew it would come to death that would separate them once more.  
  
Landailyn stirred slightly in her sleep, making him look up from his thoughts. He rose from his chair to seat himself next to her on the edge of the narrow bed, taking her right hand into both of his, caressing the fair skin so that it soothed her back into stillness.  
  
Thalawen's voice suddenly echoed in his head; the last words she'd said to him. But everything was not fine, one of the two women he loved was gone and with this he realized he could lose Landailyn just as easily. Thalawen's dream had predicted it, but they had changed fate and she had survived. It only left him to wonder why Thalawen hadn't told him it would be his demise in the foreseen battle; the arrows wouldn't even have had to strike either of them.  
  
"You really should get some rest." Landailyn had awoken at his touch, but her eyes had not opened. "You've had less than I."  
  
It was true that Elves could go longer without rest than these two already had, but when the time came that he could no longer hold his eyes open, he would simply force himself to. He may not have been able to save Thalawen, but he would not let anything happen to Landailyn; he would stay and watch over her. He shook his head at seeing her eyes finally open. "But you have also worked harder than I."  
  
Legolas' injured hand had prevented him from doing many things he would like to have helped with, but now that it was healed and usable as of the day before, he would gladly start lending both hands to the city and his friends' aiding.  
  
Landailyn kept her sigh to herself, now knowing how it was that Arwen felt when she tried to recommend the sleep needed for her friends and they refused. It may apparently be for the best sometimes, but she would try to keep herself from advising the prince further. As it was right now she could rest no more either, especially after a question she had been meaning to ask suddenly popped into her mind. "Legolas?"  
  
He looked curiously down at her.  
  
"Did Thalawen mention anything...about a dream or even a vision she might have had about _any_ of this?" This was something she already knew from Thalawen's journal, but she wondered if the prince had been told.  
  
"She knew some sort of battle was coming." He said quietly, while nodding. "She said she would protect me in it." Then he shook his head. "It could have been my death, but she was in the way, when she shouldn't have been..."  
  
Landailyn wasn't sure what to reply, so she only squeezed the warm hand that lay beneath hers.  
  
Both felt it, though neither would say it aloud, that this dire event had made them more fearful than ever of losing anyone else; especially each other, after seeing how easy it could be so many times and to now actually have it happen.  
  
"And you were right by the way, she did still love me."  
  
"I know; that day we scouted in Anorien...we spoke of it." And so this subject brought another question to her thoughts, though not quite sure how she should go about wording it. Finally, she was ready to have their talk that she had stalled before Faeroth had captured her the second time. "Legolas, is it...wrong...to feel the way I do about you?"  
  
His gaze shot upward in utter surprise, but he knew she only must be feeling guilty, because Thalawen had wished he had loved her the way she knew he loved her friend. "Wrong? Landailyn it is never wrong to love someone...no one can help what feelings their heart develops."  
  
The expression she had set on her face was unreadable. She had done this much to him through their childhood and he almost hated it.  
  
"Are you blaming yourself for something?"  
  
Landailyn's eyes rose to him, but the expression was still there, now set very firmly.  
  
"When you do that, I can tell. Why? You are not to blame for anything..."  
  
"Perhaps not, but I felt bad for her. I actually felt I stood in the way, because you..."  
  
"I had these feelings ere I met her." He confessed, cutting off any further speech from her. "You could say it took loving another woman and figuring out that those feelings were only friendly to show me that the ones I had for you were true. I believe Thalawen knew this and in a way I also believe she might have accepted it. Nothing would have changed her feelings for me, they were eternal, and that goes for mine as well."  
  
"Well, while I was home for five months, I had a lot of time to think over my own feelings. I've decided the only thing I don't want is this getting in the way of our friendship. We have been friends for _much_ too long, Legolas, I don't want to ruin that now..." She almost wished now she had never even told the prince she was in love with him. _Almost_.  
  
He sat there in a long moment of silence, as she watched him take in what she had announced. Her expression was no longer unreadable; for the time being everything she felt was right there in the open for him to see.   
  
Legolas then took a good lengthy look at her. Indeed he could see she was clearly afraid of what it might do to their friendly relationship. Even if it wasn't likely, he could see her reason. "Neither do I." He agreed. "And I certainly don't want you to force yourself into anything just because I told you I feel the same way. I love being just your friend, Landailyn, I always have and I always will. And I will never stop loving you as a friend."  
  
She nodded, trying to hold back the welling water in the rims of her eyes, managing to take a deep breath. "Thank you for understanding...again. Just friends then? As always?"  
  
"For eternity."  
  
Landailyn sat up to throw her arms around him, feeling the light pressure of his lips against her temple, as he bestowed her a quick kiss. "Go to sleep now." She murmured, against the fabric of his shining under tunic, forgetting that she would try not to advise him on this again. "For me. I cannot stand to see you so tired."  
  
The prince chuckled softly, as she lay back down, but he could not go against his friend's wishes. Even if he did not wish the chance to dream, or no matter how much he wanted to stay with her, he did need to rest if he was to begin clean up work the next morning. "I will." He told her, standing from the bed and crossing the room.  
  
"Legolas,"  
  
He looked back.  
  
"...I love you."  
  
Over two millennia had passed now that they had known one another, and Landailyn had never attempted to once say these words so directly to him. He also realized he had never told Thalawen this, that he had loved her as a friend. But he would not miss the chance again to not let his friends know that he cared so much about each of them. "And I love you. If you need me, you know I am just down the hall." He opened the door, but stopped short, remembering the last time he'd said something very similar to this and what had happened afterward.  
  
"Go," She commanded, seeing his hesitation. "This is not like last time."  
  
He nodded with a small smile, knowing she was right, but he couldn't help it.  
  
They softly exchanged goodnights and her door was closed at last.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
A smile, identical to the one his mouth had turned up exactly seven months ago to the day, played widely across his face.  
  
"So, my Elfling, you have finally paid the price for disobeying me. With your life of course." Saruman stood over the stilled bloody form on the floor that four Orcish sentries had brought in to him for proof, only moments before. "You always seemed the type to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Much to my benefit." He continued to smile.  
  
One of his last laid out plans since the Ring had been destroyed, was to destroy Gondor, to destroy King Elessar himself. But the Wizard easily became sidetracked with his desire to kill all those who opposed him that had slipped away before the deed was done.  
  
Apparently none of the lands of men were plotting against Isengard, so he felt he had all the time in the world and they could always wait. If the Orcs had made it into the city once, he would send them again moderately soon. Most of his grounds had been destroyed by the Ents, but he still had many Orcs left who were prepared and willing to serve he and a dark lord they had never known.  
  
Saruman's look at the Elf turned upon a group of Orcs shuffling into the darkened room. He knew exactly why they came. They wanted the body they had tortured, they wanted to get rid of her beauty permanently this time, once and for all.  
  
"Take it away." He ordered thoughtlessly, turning his back to ascend the ebony stairs to his throne.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**  
mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
See what I meant about your reviews saying what's to come! So indeed it _was_ Saruman! I know I said we wouldn't bring him back into the picture, but we had to after Thala told me she wanted her character to die! So I am sadden to say it is so, but this time he won...but hey, we all know that even he doesn't get to live very much longer...just till November when the War of the Ring is officially over! LOL  
Also, now you all finally know that Legolas loved only Landailyn, but they still just decided to be friends...and no one will ever know whether they will actually be together in the future or not, cuz' we can't come up with another story plot now that Thalawen is gone! Well, actually I wouldn't say_ that_...cuz' I do have one set in Mirkwood for Landy that would be a sequel to this story...but it's proving harder to write than I thought and I can't get anywhere on it! :(  
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! 10 people were over at my house, and that night I got to buy The Hobbit for the Gamecube and Tony Hawk's Underground for the Xbox! They're very fun! ;)


	22. Chapter 22

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 22**  
  
  
"Please, Arwen, my love, try to rest." Aragorn smoothed the blanket around Arwen's form, and then sat next to her on the bed. "It has been difficult these past days, I know, we all miss her, but you need to sleep. I do not want to lose you as well." With that said he bent down and kissed her forehead. He could see the hurt in her swollen red eyes and felt a sharp pain in the left part of his chest. This was a hurt he could not tend to, he could not make it go away with his love, it would be in a part of her own heart that he would never be able to reach.  
  
Another tiny tear somehow escaped her dust-dry eyes. "I just cannot believe she's gone, Aragorn." And another slipped through the barrier of lashes. Arwen's mind wandered to her eyes. How could anything pass through them now? They each felt as if they were filled to the brim with gravel. She'd thought she'd cried all the moisture from her body, but somehow there was still more to come, and she could no longer bear the burden of keeping them at bay when someone else was in the room with her. She'd reserved her mourning for when she was alone, in this dark room she shared with Aragorn. But she was weary of fighting her emotions. She needed to let go.  
  
More tears fled down her face as she sat up and embraced the love of her heart. With that single touch, the dam was broken and the reservoir was let to drain.  
  
Aragorn soothed, calmed, and appeased. Shedding a few tears of his own, he held his lover in his arms, and mourned for their lost friend.  
  
At last, as time went by, Arwen's tears subsided. Finally, she'd cried herself to sleep.  
  
Aragorn laid her back against the pillows, pulled the blanket up once more, and kissed Arwen on her cheek. "Sleep well, beloved." He backed silently from the room, closed the door softly behind him only to lean his back against it, to wipe at the moisture that still clung to his lashes. His head was cradled in his hands, even as Arwen took the trip in her dreams.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
_Flowing turquoise fabric covered Arwen's lithe body. In the silent breeze, it drifted about her arms, up around her face, obscuring her vision. She hastily pushed it back down again, to see where she was. She knew this was not real, had never experienced anything such as this, but was curious as to what exactly "this" was.  
  
Still pushing the annoying fabric away, she glanced up long enough to see the eyes of a person she knew, knew well enough to say these were the eyes of her sister. Quickly she looked away, down at her feet, at the dress that covered her, noticed the slight beadwork around the trim and bodice. Banishing the thought that the eyes belonged to her sister, she looked to her surroundings.  
  
A gazebo of sorts, stationed up on a high cliff, trees, woods, the wild encircled them. She could hear the call of animals, owls hooting in the night that was not night, but was not day. Arwen noticed the sky then. It confused her. There were stars, a moon, the sky was dark, yet there was light as if the sun were up high in the clouds, yet there were no clouds. It was as bright here as if the Trees of Valinor stood stock still next to them. Alas, Telperion and Laurelin were not there at all.  
  
Finally, brave enough to look to the left, she saw Thalawen standing where she had been before. Her dress was of white, the same style that Arwen wore; yet, the invisible hand of the wind did not play with hers. It was still as death, cold and white. This thought brought grief back into her eyes.  
  
Thalawen, seeing the change of emotion, rushed forward, opened her mouth to speak. "Do not be sad, Arwen," she said slowly. Her words were unclear, as if she were speaking underwater. Arwen focused harder, tried to bring out the words in clarity. Her attempt was not in vain; Thalawen's words could be understood. "I never want you to be sad, little sister."  
  
Arwen felt the cold touch of her sisters' hand on her arm, and it was all she could do not to throw her arms around her neck in turn. "You're so cold, Thala."  
  
With a nod of Thalawen's head, "Yes, I know." She let go her hold on Arwen's arm. "I'm sorry."  
  
This surprised Arwen, never had Thalawen apologized so quickly, especially when there was nothing to apologize for. "There is no need of your apology here and now, Thala."  
  
The sight of Thalawen upset her. Looking anywhere but at her sister, she saw a little wooden bench carved into the gazebo. She took Thalawen's hand and led her there.  
  
Thalawen sat, looked down at the hands in her lap, and noticed how white, almost transparent they were. She tried to hide them in the folds of her dress, ashamed of her appearance. No sooner had she stuffed them under her dress, almost sitting on them to hide them, Arwen pulled them into her own hands, holding them tight, warming them with her own heat. It was then she looked into her kin's eyes, able to hold back the tears that threatened.  
  
"I need to know where you are, Thala, so that I can rescue your body," she pleaded, holding Thalawen's hands tight.  
  
A grieved expression of her own passed over Thalawen's face, and once again, she looked down in her lap. Shaking her head, she continued to look down, unable to meet Arwen's gaze. "That is not possible. I cannot tell you where I am because in truth, I have no idea. I assume I'm with Saruman, but, as you well know, by now I will probably have had every limb torn from my body." She looked up. "There is no more that you can do for me."  
  
Rage kindled in Arwen's eyes, made her body shake with it. "Are you telling me that you are lost from us forever?" Her voice was quiet as the grave.  
  
A slight nod of Thalawen's head had Arwen up and pacing the wooden floor. "I will not take that as an answer from you, Thalawen. You know exactly where you are and I want you to tell me right this minute!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Now!" Arwen demanded.  
  
Again, "No."  
  
Falling to her knees before Thalawen, Arwen laid her head in her sister's lap, hugging her even as the side of her face became cold. Tears ran down her cheeks, soaked into Thalawen's cold dress. "Please! I need to lay you to rest!"  
  
Tears of her own fell from Thalawen's cheeks, turning to ice on her skin. She hastily brushed the forming ice away before Arwen could see, ashamed once more. "No, Arwen. I am at peace. Leave my body where it is, it was only a vessel in life. I am free."  
  
Arwen could not tell if it was the pounding in her head or some other phenomena that made Thalawen's voice unclear again. Suddenly she looked up to see that her vision was blurring, Thalawen was blurring. "No, Thala! Don't leave me!"  
  
"I must, it is time for you to return to your own world." She stood, leaving Arwen sobbing on the floor. "I will watch over you, as I have always done."  
  
In one last attempt to reach Thalawen, Arwen threw her hand out, trying to grab on to the folds of her sister's dress, but it vanished right through her own skin, and all became black.  
  
  
_*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*_  
  
  
_A day after her dream, a week and a half after Thalawen's passing, Arwen knew she was truly at peace.   
  
The princess went to Aragorn about having a memorial for her. Perhaps it was her way of letting go of her dear sister at last. Thalawen may not be able to be with her physically in the living world, but she would never leave her heart.  
  
So down she and ten others traveled to the long narrow banks of the Anduin. Arwen, Aragorn, Landailyn, Legolas, Eowyn, Faramir, Gimli, and the four little Hobbits.  
  
The two Elven women, carrying a white lily each, stepped together from the lined up group to the rushing water's edge. Landailyn looked over at Arwen at the same time she did. Neither really noticed nor cared if anyone saw that a few droplets of tears escaped their eyes, but merely smiled faintly at one another.  
  
Arwen looked back down, beginning to speak, Elvish words flowing from her mind to her mouth, a very old prayer among their race. In its final words, they tossed the flowers in the river watching the current take them further south.  
  
To her surprise, a female voice filled the humid morning air with song. It was a song most proper for this event, for it spoke of the pain of a lost loved one.  
  
Standing where he was, Legolas joined in perfect key to Landailyn's voice.  
  
All within the Elves' presence harked to the sudden melody, detecting sadness even in the unfaltering words they could not decipher. Only one of the other eight understood every Elvish lyric and even he did not recognize ever having heard this song before. And all wondered to themselves right then what could have been more beautiful than the clear singing voices of the Firstborn.  
  
Twice as many tears spilled down Arwen's pale cheeks. She would have sung with them, but could only cover her mouth with her hand, trying not to sob aloud, recalling the way her sister used to sing her favorite songs of old.  
  
Thalawen Whitestar had always been a part of two of the eleven attending and had an eternal place embedded within their hearts. For the two singing, she had only more recently come into their lives and they were merely glad for the time they had known her and had grown to love her as much as their oldest friends of many years.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**There was Thalawen one last time in this story! Sorry, no more Faramir, Eowyn, Gimli or the Hobbits now after this either! But Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir are coming up!  
Well I'm glad to hear you guys had good Thanksgivings! And I'm also glad cuz' Pirates of the Caribbean came out on DVD today! Can't wait to watch it again! ;) Oh yeah definitely, I love the RotK soundtrack and the TTT extended DVD! And hey, there's only 15 days after today (Dec 2nd) until the RotK comes out in theaters! Woohoo!


	23. Chapter 23

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 23**  
  
  
Arwen wandered alone through the stone halls within the King's House of Minas Tirith. It was the twenty-eighth, only a day after the memorial.  
  
Stopping in the upper halls after several minutes of walking here and there, she eyed a door to her left. It was the door leading to a room she remembered that Landailyn occupied. Who right now, was just the person she wanted to see.  
  
"Landy?" She knocked lightly; the door was ajar and she peaked around it slowly.  
  
The seemingly small form of the Silvan female Elf sat on the bed with her legs drawn closely up to her stomach and chest, her chin resting on her right knee. She had come into her room to rest from her volunteer work not ten minutes before from outside the House on the Citadel and would soon be going back out.  
  
Arwen hadn't even realized her eyes had been closed, until after she had already called her name and Landailyn's eyes had shot open. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."  
  
"To startle me?" Landailyn shook her head, blonde strands falling loosely over her shoulders. "You didn't. Please, come in."  
  
The soon-to-be queen of Gondor smiled lightly, accepting and stepping inside the guestroom.  
  
"Is something bothering you, Arwen?" asked Landailyn, brows furrowed, as the younger girl came closer to sit with her. Then she realized something too; that that just might have been a rather dense question on her part.  
  
Hesitating, not sure if she should tell, Arwen looked her friend in the eye. Should she tell Landailyn of the dream she'd had of Thalawen? Would Landailyn become jealous, that Thalawen had come to her sister and not her new best friend?  
  
Putting all that aside, seeing it as unnecessary, Arwen decided to tell of the dream. "Thalawen came to me while I was asleep, two days past."  
  
An audible gasp was heard from the army captain beside her.  
  
"What did she look like? Did she say anything? Where is she? Is she all right?" rushed Landailyn.  
  
Holding up a hand to ebb the stream of questions, Arwen shook her head. "She is normal, she looks as she always has; fair, towering...beautiful." The last was said softly, only a murmur. "But cold, so cold." Shaking her head again, Arwen looked down to her feet and the floor beneath. "When I asked where her body was, she would not say. I have a very good suspicion it is no longer in one piece, but I really don't think she wanted to tell me that it was true at the time. And she said she would still look after me...now and forever."  
  
"But is she all right?" asked Landailyn.  
  
She nodded slowly. "Yes." A silent tear formed. "'I am free' were her exact words." She paused. "This was Saruman's doing, I know it. Thala even suspected him."  
  
Landailyn knew this just as well. She had seen the markings of the White Hand upon the Uruk-hai, though there had been very few.  
  
As much as any of them would see revenge on Saruman for this, anyone could tell he still had quite the number in his minions, and they could not risk the lives of others out of their own grief to try to bring him down.  
  
Try as she might, Arwen would have to let her sister go, until she could be reunited with her in the next life. Everyone would have to let her go, even though some would never be seeing the Halls of Mandos.  
  
Looking about the room distractedly, Arwen clutched the teardrop amethyst necklace that hung about her neck. She'd never had the chance to give it to Thalawen, so it forever had a home on her person. Changing the subject, she spoke aloud once more. "We have postponed the wedding," She said, going back to staring down at the wooden flooring, now sounding utterly emotionless. "I am not sure what later date we will have it." Her eyes seemed anxious and suddenly turned back up to Landailyn's concerned face. "Will you still come?"  
  
"Of course I will. I would not miss it for anything. You will just have to let me know ahead in a letter, so that I can make it down here in time."  
  
Arwen actually smiled; her first true smile in almost two weeks.  
  
Landailyn smiled in return. Making a mental note that she would need to remember to bring what she had bought in the market for their wedding present. "But Arwen, I want to let you know now that I plan to leave here day after tomorrow..." She trailed off, watching the princess closely; who tried not to show any obvious sign of the emotions inside her at hearing this. "I'm not going home right away though. I'm making my way to your house first...I think Ezril should be set free."  
  
Arwen nodded only once in approval of her friend's decision. "So you will tell my father and brothers...?"  
  
"Yes, I've already spoken to Aragorn." Landailyn's smile was still faintly showing. She could read in Arwen's deep blue eyes that she didn't want her to leave, but she had to and would try to spend more time with the princess than she had been, before these last couple days were up.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Late into the morning of the last day of the month, Landailyn stepped down quietly into the great dominant hall of the large House. Her help with the city's damages and wounded people was not so needed as it had been and it was time she set out for the Elven refuge in the north.  
  
Nearing a table by the doors, she double-checked to make sure she had packed the most important item. There it was at the bottom, Thalawen's journal.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
She set her bag down, sighing. He had approached her silently and she hadn't sensed him once again, her mind on several other things at once. "I'm leaving today."  
  
Legolas' eyes widened. He knew the day would come when she would need to leave and his thoughts over the fact that she would be going alone on at least a month and a half trip, alarmed him to no end and his feelings warned against it, as though they were telling him something was going to happen to endanger her. But most of all he simply didn't want to be apart from her; he was afraid to be. "Then I will go with you. It would..."  
  
"Legolas, please."  
  
He stopped, but did not stray from her gaze.  
  
"I will send word when I arrive in Rivendell and again when I return home. But I must go, Lord Elrond and the twins deserve to know what has happened and I must take Ezril back to _his_ home. I will make as much haste as all possible, but you, my prince, are still needed here."  
  
He chose to linger in silence. It was hard, but he gave up, seeing her point and merely held out his arms.  
  
"Please, do not worry about me." She whispered, stepping into his embrace.  
  
He nodded against her shoulder, but asking him to do that was like asking him to stop breathing. He would be worried until word came about her safe arrivals at both destinations.  
  
"You wouldn't think about leaving without saying goodbye, would you?"  
  
The blonde Elves let go of one another and rounded to find Aragorn and Arwen gaining the spot they stood, near the tall entry way.  
  
"Of course not, my lord, why ever would you think that?"  
  
Aragorn smiled. "I've had long to learn that you Elves can be quite unpredictable. And are you sure I cannot spare you a horse?"  
  
Landailyn shook her head at the offer. "Thank you, but I'm sure."  
  
"_That _I knew you were going to say."  
  
"Oh really?" She grinned, her pack being slung over her right shoulder and across her chest.  
  
Accompanying her outside toward the tunnel way, she stopped at its entrance to face her friends one last time. "Tell the rest for me that I shall see them again at the wedding."  
  
"We will," Arwen said, coming forward to enfold her in a long hug. "Im meleth lle." [_I love you._] She whispered, her voice and words soft in her friend's ear. She too did not want Landailyn to leave so soon, but was only glad that she would be the one telling her father and brothers of the loss. She really did not know what she would do if she lost Landailyn too and prayed the Valar would watch over her. "Travel safely."  
  
The moisture of tears forming threatened to blur Landailyn's vision. "Thank you. I love you too, Arwen."  
  
Giving Aragorn and then Legolas another hug, she said a final farewell and started countless steps downward seven levels for the Great Gates, passing many buildings, mainly the stables, the Houses of Healing and the Old Guesthouse.  
  
Passing the tunnel's entrance, the three strode slowly toward the embrasure. Here one could see high out over the circular city, where they would observe the lone traveler until she was out of their sights, at least Legolas', who was set to stay at the high opening the whole time. At the bottom and through the gates, they watched her stay straight east on the path to the Anduin.  
  
The Dunadan stepped up next to the male Elf, for once going almost unaware by him. "She'll be alright, my friend." Aragorn touched an understanding hand to Legolas' left shoulder blade.  
  
"I only pray you're right, Human." The prince turned a faint smile of mirth on the man beside him.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
At last, Landailyn was entering the location she had set out from her home for over four months before; fortunate enough to have had no ill dilemmas on her chosen path.  
  
Imladris. She loved it here and wished she had visited more often when Aragorn and Arwen still lived beneath the roof of the Last Homely House. She wondered briefly if perhaps she might then have met Thalawen sooner as well.  
  
Her wonderings brought to mind the main reason why she was here. A reason she was certainly not looking forward to telling about.  
  
From a window on the second floor of the House of Elrond, a female twice her age had seen her coming from afar in the east and now went down to properly greet their guest.  
  
"Melna!" Landailyn brightened from her thoughts at the sight of the elder maidservant standing on the front steps.  
  
"It is good to see you, my lady!" She called. "Many years has it been since you visited last."  
  
"I know. I have wanted to, but have been so consumed with daily matters at home."  
  
Melna nodded with a warm smile, resting a hand upon the girl's shoulder as she lightly climbed the porch steps with her. "Very understandable. I'm just glad the three of you finally made it safe to Gondor. But...what of Lady Thalawen? Was she not supposed to return unlike her sister?" The older Elf looked behind them as if searching for her.  
  
Landailyn's mouth gaped as she ceased the motion of her walk, quickly searching for something besides the truth. "She was. Melna, could you please find..."  
  
"Landailyn?!" Erupted a duet of similar voices into the small entrance.  
  
Mid sentence, she looked above to her right to see the twins racing down an iron railed staircase.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Elladan asked for why she had left the southern land of Men so soon, only to have come west to their home when hers lay far in the east.  
  
Before explaining anything, she turned back to the waiting maid, finishing her earlier request. "Could you please find Lord Elrond for me?"  
  
"Yes, of course." Melna replied, going on her way to an enclosed hallway down the center of the House.  
  
Her attention back on the brothers, Landailyn noticed their concerned eyes were huge with both brows raised.  
  
"What's going on?" Elrohir tried again.  
  
"It should wait for your father."  
  
The two knew it must have been important to have to involve their father, besides easily hearing the tense tone her lowered voice held.  
  
"Lady Landailyn? Lord Elrond is waiting in the Hall of Fire." Melna informed her from another stair landing, this time to the left.  
  
"Thank you, Melna." She called up, glancing at the twin Elves as she passed them, as if telling them they could follow.  
  
But the two needed no sort of prodding; they wanted to know what this was all for and weren't about to miss out.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Sorry this chapter took longer again like the others had been...but Thala and I didn't seen each other all last week cuz' she was busy with school stuff and then I spent the weekend at my friend Beth's house in Oklahoma! And she gave me my own side of her room! LOL She moved an extra bed of hers in there and bought the new RotK Legolas and Aragorn posters and put them up for me! I had my camera with me cuz' we were going to a Christmas parade the next night, so I took a pic of it all! ;)  
Anyway, the rest of the chapters to the end will be as fast as they were before! And by the way, has anyone gotten any snow? We just got our first snow of the year last night and it ended up being about 6 inches!


	24. Chapter 24

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 24**  
  
  
"Landailyn?" Elrond asked softly, as he and she sat in armchairs before the fire, the twins instead deciding to stand, too anxious to sit still. The she-Elf had not said a word since their greeting. "What is it? You can tell us."  
  
"Of course you can." Elrohir tried to soothe, as obviously the she-Elf was under great pain and pressure by the expressions she battled to keep hidden from their view, as she struggled with how to tell them the news she had come about.  
  
Of course she could tell them; however, she so wished for anything else then to have to be the one to share this dreadful news that she knew would devastate the three before her. "I am afraid I bring ill news concerning you."  
  
"Ill news?" Elladan repeated.  
  
The twins had already pretty much figured this out, but to hear her say it was much different, causing slight distress to hang over each of them; even their father, who was starting to suspect it would be the worst news possible.   
  
"Seventeen days into August," She finally began. "Uruk-hai broke into the White City; we are certain they came from Isengard. Five of us went out to fight, aiding Estel's troops. A quarter of an hour into the battle brought the arrival of eight Nazgul on Fell Beasts. I went to the White Tower to check on Arwen and the Hobbits, but before I could I enter I heard Legolas' voice. He had an arrow through his hand, so I took him inside the King's House and told him to wait there while I helped Thalawen and the others..." She shook her head remembering the look in his eyes. "But he told me...that I could not help Thalawen, for..." Landailyn looked up to the trio of resembling faces. She could see their countenances had changed to horror and alarm, as she reached the point of her news. "I am sorry, my lord, Thalawen was struck with two arrows and taken by the Nazgul...she is gone."  
  
Elrond stared silently at her in full-fledged shock. His only other daughter was dead? His mind suddenly drifted to many different memories; mainly back to the argument he'd had with Thalawen over Arwen. How he had only ever wanted to keep his daughter safe, but never had he foreseen that his adopted would not be coming back to her family either, even when she had promised. But the one that she had kept was getting Arwen to her southern destination safely. It may have taken a little longer than expected, as the twins explained to him what had happened when they reached home again, but she still made it to the city in one piece and he thanked Thalawen for it now.  
  
The twins pulled their father into a long tight hug.  
  
Letting them have this moment to themselves, Landailyn put a hand over her eyes. As difficult as this had been, it was done; she had told them her news. Her attention returned to the present; finding the twins coming her way, she stood to embrace them. It broke her heart to see their faces so filled with emotions and yet they did not let them out or cry in front of her. Knowing how she felt and just imagining how all three of them must feel right now, at the moment she couldn't even think of anything to do or say that might help with their pain. Elrond had taken over Thalthan's duty as a father, he had loved Thalawen as his own and the twins had grown up with her, she had been their only older sibling. As long as they could remember she had always been a skilled warrior and they had always looked up to her, as in ways she was just like them.  
  
Trying at least to keep her voice under control, Landailyn spoke a few moments later, after being reseated. "I also wish to ask, if it is all right that I take Ezril back to Rohan."  
  
Elrond eventually looked up, appearing strangely weary, as if he were starting to feel his many years catching up with him. Grief overtook his usual alert and mostly carefree self. "Yes, I think it would be best for him."  
  
Agreeing, she added. "My lord, I am so sorry, if there is _anything_ I can do, anything at all..."  
  
The much older, darker haired Elf raised his hand slightly to stop her. "Thank you, but I'm just glad to hear this from someone close to us; rather than reading it in a letter."  
  
She nodded slowly. A few days before she left Gondor, she had sought out Aragorn, showed him Thalawen's journal, and discussed her plans, which he much agreed to and did not send word north as he had prepared. Her decisions had been made well.  
  
"What about everyone else?" Asked Elrohir eagerly through unshed tears. "They're all right...right?"  
  
"I promise that when I left they were all fine. I only stayed a fortnight after the attack and it has taken me only a month to get here." Perhaps by definition they weren't 'fine', at least emotionally, but those listening knew what she meant and it was a great relief. "Which brings me to ask of a favor, my lord. If you could please possibly send word to Estel that I have made it here safely and will be returning Ezril to Rohan soon and from there I will head for Mirkwood."  
  
"Of course; have no worry over it."  
  
In return she nodded a thank you, before looking over at the scenery displayed through an arched window, knowing there were still a few hours of daylight left. She rose again from her seat near the hearth. "If you will excuse me then, I really must go see Ezril so that he is use to me again and set out before it's..."  
  
"Set out? But you've only just arrived!" Exclaimed Elladan, halting where he was from pacing the room, trying to swallow the lump that kept trying to form in his throat. "You've been traveling for four straight weeks! At least spend the night to eat a good meal and rest in a comfortable bed."  
  
She smiled sadly and looked down at Elrond, who only held up his dark brows, much in the same way his sons had when she arrived, as though asking of her the same as his eldest. "I fear I might get used to it again and never want to leave, but alright."  
  
The simple statement made the three males laugh lightheartedly, despite the great amount of grief they were keeping inside for the present moment.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
This night was not any different from the last few, where Landailyn had found she could not sleep. Especially, now after reaching this first destination.  
  
Sighing, she sat up from her guest bed. Perhaps a walk would help, she thought, even though it hadn't on the travel here. For when she could not rest, she would walk cautiously throughout the night, giving her the haste she told the prince she would make.   
  
Eyeing her leather supply bag on the floor, she dug deep down to its bottom, lifting out a thick rectangular object.  
  
Satisfied, she set out for a quiet tour of the House, feeling as though she were a child sneaking about while her parents slept, when it was passed her bedtime and she was not to be up.  
  
This touring eventually led her to stand halfway down a staircase, where at the bottom, flames of candles flickered in a large room, indicating that someone was still up. Finding the Elven lord still awake was not so surprising with the grieving news she had delivered upon his family.  
  
"Lord Elrond?"  
  
Whether he'd known she was there or not, Landailyn could not have told, as she was mostly concealed by the low slanting ceiling and the walls on either side of the stairs, but Elrond slowly raised his head from its place in his hands. He smiled her way, defying the sodden mood she could tell he was in, and gestured a hand toward the chairs in front of his desk. "It's alright, young captain. Come,"   
  
Landailyn took the last few steps down into the dim study.   
  
"I was just finishing writing to Estel before bed."  
  
"Oh, many thanks." She said seating herself.   
  
"I would have thought you in bed yourself by now, if you are to set out later today. What keeps you?"  
  
"I wished to talk with you...about Arwen." She replied, leaving out the part that she _had_ been in bed, but she just couldn't sleep now, not with the 'problems' she had running and endless course through her mind.  
  
Across her, the elder Elf's stare turned to concern, so she hurried with her explanation so as not to alarm him, which was the last intention she'd had in mind. "As you would know she took her sister's passing very hard...we all still are...and a few days before I left, she spoke to me of a dream in which Thalawen came to her in spirit form." She looked up to find Elrond nodding, apparently considering what she was telling him to be something of the truth. "Lord Elrond, do you know if that is possible...?"  
  
He continued to nod. "Never have I experienced it in my lifetime, but I cannot say I have not heard of others experiencing the same as what Arwen shared with you. It has to do with a deep connection someone has with another. And my daughters always seemed to have had just that."  
  
Understanding, she nodded slightly and glanced down. "I also...came to give you this." She took a silent deep breath and held out the journal over the desktop. Not truly expecting him to still be up, she had planned to leave it somewhere for him to find. Its contents would explain to him what really happened to Thalawen; that she had foreseen her death and saved the Prince of Mirkwood from that horrible fate.  
  
He took it carefully, not recognizing it and looking to her for an answer of what exactly it was.  
  
"It was Thalawen's. I found it in her room that night...after the battle. She wrote in it that she wished Arwen would never see it, but I showed it to Estel; we both agreed that you should keep it."  
  
He smiled softly, placing the book where it would be safe to later look at in private. "Thank you." The High-Elf waited a moment, watching her, his smile changing to one of slight amusement.  
  
She had acknowledged his thank you, but had said nothing; rather she was staring off at the west windows into the night beyond them.   
  
"Landailyn,"  
  
She looked over abruptly, her head jerking to face him.   
  
"Do not think no one has not noticed you appear somewhat burdened or troubled. You become easily distracted, as you did just now and I can tell you have been this way for a while. Truly, what is it?"   
  
With this statement she realized how much Arwen was like her father, or at least how much she could sound like him when lecturing or advising. "Forgive me.  I promise, it is nothing, my lord, nothing I cannot handle with a little time."  
  
He scrutinized her a bit longer, trusting that her troubled demeanor was 'nothing' one should talk out, he nodded once and rose from his desk. "If you should change your mind, come to see me over it at any time."  
  
"Thank you. Sleep well, my lord."  
  
"And you, Landailyn." Elrond's soft words floated back to her, as he disappeared from the candle lit room.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Thank you, Jamie, Maya and Lyn, I had a great time in Oklahoma and I might be going again a few days after Christmas! And then Beth will come back with me to my house for New Years! And I do hope that cold of yours gets better, Jamie! I had a really bad one last year just right after Christmas and it got so annoying cuz' I would have a coughing fit like every five minutes and lucky me it lasted until like the middle of January! OMG Marcede, you were vacationing in the Caribbean?! How awesome!!! I wanna go there so bad!   
Well anyway, there aren't many chapters left to this story! And bloody hell, we got more snow! Like about 4 more inches on top of about 3 inches that didn't melt from the other day and we're suppose to get more tonight! Ugh! LOL Hope it doesn't get so bad I can't get out to go see Return of the King! :( Oh, and if anyone wants to see it and doesn't know about it yet, Elijah Wood is hosting Saturday Night Live tonight! I missed him on Jay Leno the other night, but Thala saw it and told me what he talked about! It was hilarious!


	25. Chapter 25

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 25**_  
  
  
_Landailyn's troubles indeed needed to be talked out with someone, but this time Lord Elrond was not that particular person. For someone even as wise as he, he was not the advisor her heart's condition sought.  
  
Making sure he was out of sight, she strode outside. Earlier, she had asked the elder of the twins of the location of Thalawen's house and if she were to be leaving soon she wanted to visit it before that time came.  
  
It was a lovely night, as it always was in this particular valley. The full silver moon glistened below on the River Bruinen reflecting on the leaves of the trees along its banks. And the waterfalls quietly roared in the not so far distance.  
  
The solitary Elf stopped to glance eastward, where light had caught her eye. On the stone bridge across the river, swinging amber orbs moved slowly over it's arched shape, heading out of the city. She soon figured out what they were; lanterns carried by the Elves leaving this night for the Grey Havens. There were so little left as it was, she thought, continuing on westward with a mournful expression.  
  
She knew not exactly when her leaving of Middle-earth would be, but she had a feeling it would be painfully long enough to see all of her friends pass on, save one. Legolas was now the only one going with her, as she had recently learned the twins were staying as Arwen was.  
  
Arriving at the house, she knew there would be no one to greet her. Thalawen had lived alone for the past two millennia and the only noise were the brown leaves littering the floor crunching beneath her leather boots, for here she didn't bother to silence her footsteps.  
  
She looked around the ground floor. It was large in size, but when it came to its contents, there wasn't much to behold.  
  
There was little furniture, only a few chairs and tables, one couch and here and there stood tall wood carved candelabras and an occasional shelving built into the wall, always filled to capacity with books and scrolls. Though there was one certain object to immediately capture her interest. Near the rear of the house, a tall easel stood alone in front of a single window. The canvas held only a half painted picture of the sun shining brilliantly through the trees. The same trees that grew not ten feet away outside, if one looked up at the wide window in the daytime.  
  
Eventually, she took one step at a time up a remotely curved staircase to the second level.  
  
On the narrow hall landing at the top, she stared ahead at a row of doors. The spaces between them seemed to be filled with a collection of various types of weapons, from Orc scimitars and black bows, to Dwarvish axes and swords of Men. But where two more weapons should have been near the second door within the hall, they were missing. Sadly she could only guess it was where Thalawen hung her bow and Carafang when not in use and now those places would forever be bare.  
  
Walking easily passed the first room; something seemed to draw her to go inside this second one.  
  
The atmosphere inside felt auspicious and benign, welcoming and warm.  
  
Against the moonlight, the pillars of open arched windows cast wide shadows on the floor and the solid wall across them. A bed, enough in width to hold two people sat to the left of the off centered doorway. A small table stood to the right of the headboard; on it a half burned a candle and a book beside it.   
  
She walked toward the bed, her eyes wondering over the sight of a dark colored object sticking out from under a pillow. Sliding it out, Landailyn smiled, as she discovered it was a small silver bladed dagger with a bronze hilt.  
  
This had definitely been Thalawen's bedroom.  
  
On the solid north wall, hung a small portrait of an elderly female Elf. She had dark hair flowing past her shoulders with small curls at the ends, beautiful fair skin, dark green eyes and bright red lips. She looked much like Thalawen had, but Landailyn couldn't begin to guess who it might be in her family line, so she moved on with her tour.   
  
Below it on the floor, sat a waist high stool pushed under a plain narrow desk with a slanted top. On it, sat stacks of parchment, more candles, scattered books on medicine and healing, a quill in its glass holder and two bottles of ink.  
  
To the left of the desk, rested a large elaborately carved chest, a thin layer of dust on its lid.  
  
Landailyn squatted in front of it, lifting the golden metal latch. Filled to the top inside it were folded clothing, a heavy golden pocket watch with Elvish inscriptions and a thick leather book, looking even older than the one she'd found of Thalawen's. And being just as careful, Landailyn flipped through it, skimming over entries dating back as early as a century before the Last Alliance, but mostly the pages held poems and lyrics of songs she did not recognize.      
  
Closing the chest, she sighed, looking around for something else to explore. A few feet south of the bed, across the entrance of the room, white and lilac see-through drapes hung limply in a wide door-less frame, where a balcony projected off the structure. It was a picture perfect view, sitting just above the treetops and at an angle it faced the Last Homely House in the east.   
  
Landailyn stepped out onto it, breathing in the fresh night air with another sigh, closing her eyes as she felt the wind passing gently over her fair skin and hair. Slowly opening them, she looked out to the mountains and above them to the millions of tiny stars hanging in the black infinity that was the night sky.  
  
"Well, this is quite a lovely home you had, Thalawen." She paused, as if she were waiting for a reply, but she knew there would be none; though perhaps Thalawen was listening from wherever she was. "So, you went to Arwen in her dreams. I'm glad you could, I think it certainly made her feel a sense of closure. And I hope you do not mind my giving your journal to Lord Elrond…or me going through your things for that matter."  
  
It would seem to anyone watching the Wood-Elf that she was speaking to no one at all, but now that she was alone and in the birthplace of her friend, somewhere she could truly connect with her, she wanted to have a little talk. To tell of the troubles that no one else could help her with.  
  
"He finally got to you, didn't he? It was Saruman. I know what you said in your journal, but if you saw this coming, why didn't you let me help you? You saved my life once; I wanted to return that 'favor' someday. But I guess_ that _was what was for you to decide." She shook her head, recalling the words they had spoken to one another the night of her rescue from the corsair captain.  
  
"Thala, if I could only see you again...if I only could only say one thing to you, it would be to tell you how sorry I am for the way I acted the last time we spoke. I don't...I don't know why I lashed out, but I was wrong to do so. I realize now why you were doing what you were and I'm sorry if I hurt you...I truly did not mean what was said." She put a faint luminous hand on the curved railing before her, the other brushing swiftly down her cheeks to clear the droplets seeping from her eyes. "I just wish I could hear you forgive me...but maybe I don't deserve it."  
  
She lingered there only a second longer, then turned her back to drift inside the house once more.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Good morning. Do you know if Landailyn is awake yet? She wanted to be up by dawn…" _  
  
_"I just checked, she's not in her room, but her things are still there."  
  
Elladan nodded, taking the information into thought, recalling the night before when the Mirkwood captain had asked him in private for the directions to their adopted sister's home. "I have an idea where she might be. Check the stables, if she's not there with Ezril, meet me at Thalawen's."  
  
Elrohir's brows creased for a moment, but he suddenly understood and went on his way.  
  
  
**TBC ...  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :  
**Yay! All our snow is gone so I got to go see Return of the King! It was so awesome!!! I loved it!!! It was so sad though, but I didn't cry...almost...but I didn't! Which is good cuz' I was in public, even if the theater was dark! But my mom cried! LOL! So what did all you reviewers think of it? And Elijah Wood is on Conan O'Brien right now! It's so freakin' hilarious!  
Sorry, I know that chapter was pretty short, but the next will be longer, because it's the last one! Yes, the next chapter, chapter 26 will conclude this story! And then I'll be so sad! No more Landailyn and Thalawen to write about! At least no more stories with them together! Cuz' Thalawen gets her own prequel fic and Landailyn gets her own sequel! ;)  
Hey, Thala, did you know that a soldier from right here in our town helped with the capture of Saddam Hussein? I saw it on the local news and just thought it was kinda cool.  
Well, now that this is posted, I gotta go finish reading on a book that I got my uncle for Christmas before I have to wrap it! LOL! He loves history, especially stuff about the Civil War, so I got him a book that tells about encounters that people have had with ghosts in certain southern states around Civil War battle areas and Generals' mansions. It's called: Phantom Army of the Civil War and Other Southern Ghost Stories. It's really interesting! I like it cuz' used to check out books like that about real ghosts stories from the libraries in school all the time; they were cool! Hmmm, you wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas Thala...hint hint, wink wink! I want a book about real ghost stories! hehe


	26. Chapter 26

**AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  
**By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala  
**  
  
CHAPTER 26**  
  
  
Mounting each stair upward for Thalawen's old room and crossing its threshold, a heavyhearted smile touched the lips of Elladan, eldest son of Elrond.  
  
For there before him was Landailyn, asleep in a cushioned armchair near the bed. Somehow, she had found this room out to be Thalawen's.  
  
Quickly the twin composed himself before any grief could take over and went in to wake her. He hated to disturb her peacefulness, but today was the day she said she wanted to set out and he would not stand in the way of her plans. "Landy?" He sat on the end of the bed, reaching a hand out to shake her slightly. "Landailyn,"  
  
With a start, the she-Elf sat forward, unconsciously reaching behind for a weapon. Doing so, her elbow brushed against something on the chair that floated off lightly to the smooth wood floor.  
  
"Whoa, it's all right; it's just Elladan." He tried to calm her.  
  
She put down her arm, for there were no weapons upon her back anyway, breathing in deeply from her fright and trying her best to remember where she was.  
  
"When did you come up here?"  
  
Landailyn made eye contact with the older Elf, though his age only exceeded hers by six years. She shrugged, breaking the gaze. "Sometime after midnight, I believe. It was before your father went to bed, for I talked with him a little. I sat down to look at the stars...apparently I drifted off."   
  
"Aye, Elrohir and I stayed up as well, sitting in the Hall of Fire, speaking of...happier times." Elladan's soft, distant expression quickly changed and so did his subject. "It's only just light out. We plan to go hunting soon." He paused, his mouth still gaping, as his attention turned downward beside the chair. "What's this?" He asked, bending over. Rising back up, he held what he'd found up for her to see.  
  
What it was startled her into complete stillness, her breath catching in her chest, as she could only stare at it with wide astonished eyes.  
  
Elladan was puzzled both by the object and by Landailyn's reaction to it. "How did this get here? Don't they only grow in Gondor?"  
  
In his right hand, he clutched a short green plant stem, at its top the single curved pedal of a white lily.  
  
"Thala..." Was Landailyn's only whispered word.  
  
Speechless to her obvious suggestion, the twin looked down at the flower once more, twirling it between his thumb and index finger. He knew the Silvan Elf could not have brought it back with her, for it was fresh, as if it were only picked that morning. And yet that was not possible either, for there were no plants like this anywhere near Rivendell.  
  
"We had a memorial for her at the river." Landailyn's memories still a whisper on her voice. "Arwen and I...picked white lilies. They do only grow in Gondor."  
  
The Noldor Elf was in awe, realizing what his adopted sister had done. "She left it for you." He held it out.  
  
Landailyn took it carefully, as if it were made of thin glass that would easily crush under her grip, and put it under her nose for its sweet fragrance. "I did come up here to talk to her."  
  
"And she answered."  
  
Thalawen had indeed answered her friend's conversation. This flower was a sign that she had _forgiven_ her.  
  
"I miss her, Elladan."  
  
The twin's heavyhearted smile was back, but before he could agree or say anything of comfort, they both sensed that someone had come into the house.  
  
"Elladan? Landy?" An all too familiar voice rang.  
  
"Up here!"  
  
Entering the room where his twin's voice had sounded, Elrohir found Landailyn rising from a chair, stretching and stifling a yawn. Instantly, he knew what had happened. "Good morning," He said in an almost overly blithe tone.  
  
"That it is," From where she stood, Landailyn looked out at the sunrise over the mountain tops, then down at her gift.   
  
"Uh, come on, Elrohir; let us see if breakfast is ready yet."  
  
The she-Elf turned to back to the older twin. "Right, I'll...I'll be there in a bit."  
  
Walking past her, Elladan put a brief friendly hand on her shoulder, then ushered his bewildered brother out the door and back down the stairs.  
  
Landailyn chuckled, as she listened to him protest and as usual the first question out of his mouth was about what was going on. "Your brothers..." She muttered with a grin, but quickly sobered to speak in all seriousness. "It's beautiful, Thala. I only wish it would keep forever. But I take it then, you have forgiven me? Well, you don't know how happy and relieved it has made me. Or did you know?" She smiled and finally left for the Last Homely House.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
After a filling breakfast, Landailyn headed out to the stables.  
  
"Hey, Ezril. Remember me?" She walked carefully forward into his stall, knowing exactly how the horse was going to react, but she continued to talk to him so he could identify her voice as most likely the first he'd ever heard. "It's been a little while, huh?" She was almost within his reach and yet he didn't move, taking her completely by surprise. And at the same time it deeply saddened her to know how much the Mearh had obviously loved his master, his best friend. "I'm sorry, boy...but Thala's not coming home."  
  
As if understanding that he should somehow comfort her, or perhaps he was saddened too, the horse, instead of trying to drive her away, rested the side of his head against her chest and stomach.  
  
Smoothing out his tousled mane, she whispered, "I miss her too." They stayed like this for a few moments more. "Would you like to go home to Rohan? See your kin again."   
  
Suddenly, Ezril perked up, whinnying loudly and throwing his head from side to side; signs that the Elf next to him could identify as happiness.  
  
Landailyn surveyed the area to see if someone or something else had excited the horse, but she not could see or hear anything around them. "Well, I guess I'll take that as a 'yes' then."  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
"Are you positive we cannot not persuade you to stay longer?" Elrond half jested, standing between his two sons near the entrance gate to see their company off.  
  
But Landailyn did no jesting when she replied; for if she had not been traveling with all celerity, she would have most likely stayed there as long as was possible for her. "I would love to, my lord, more than anything, but I must be home for my duties. Albeit, you have my word that I will come visit more often now; Legolas too."  
  
The High-Elf smiled, nodding. "We would be very glad of that. You know you are both welcome here anytime."  
  
Hugging them all, she stepped back to Ezril. "Thank you each, for everything."  
  
"We are not the only ones to thank." Reminded Elrohir.  
  
"Yes," Agreed his father. "What you have done for us may seem a small feat to you, but it meant more than you think and is greatly appreciated. I could see it was just as hard for you, as Thalawen once spoke to me of her great new friendship." And something else the Elven lord could see was the change in Landailyn's distraughtly manner. She was truly happy today, unlike much earlier that morning. He was right to trust that she would handle whatever her troubles had been with only a little time, just as she had said.  
  
Landailyn nodded. What Elrond had just said also meant a lot to her.  
  
"Well, we will not keep you." Elladan sighed.  
  
"Good, or you would have to take it up with Legolas' father."  
  
She and Elrond laughed at the disappearing smiles and two pairs of widening eyes at the mere thought.  
  
Without another word, she turned toward the path, seeming as though she was leaving without Ezril. Wearing no saddle or bridle she could lead him with, Landailyn hoped that he would follow her as he once had.  
  
Standing his ground, the Mearh seemed to hesitate, looking about in confusion between his new home and the person who obviously wanted him to go with them.  
  
Behind her, Landailyn heard the twins laugh and tell him goodbye and she felt a relieved smile creep its way upon her face.  
  
Gaining the highest spot of the main path through the mountains, she turned and stopped to look back over the entire city.  
  
Ezril halted too, gazing at her as if he wanted an answer as to what she was doing now.  
  
Ignoring his look, she searched along the buildings below, until she spotted it. The sun shined brightly against the walls of Thalawen's house and through the windows to fill the rooms. It seemed to glow, as though having its own light, just like a Firstborn did.  
  
"Namarie, mellon-nin." [_Farewell, my friend._]  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
Just a day after coming down from the mountain pass, Landailyn eyed the horse at her side as they walked; a sudden idea coming to mind. Just as sudden as the idea she had had about getting the horse for Thalawen.  
  
She was not tired, nor did she not feel like walking, but she wanted to ride the horse, to see if he wouldn't just try to throw her off. Stopping him, she spoke calmly in the common tongue. "I hope you'll let me, Ezril, for I really do not need another broken wrist." She smiled at the statement, patting his side before she mounted easily upon his bare back.  
  
She sat still and silent on him for a moment, but so far so good. Carefully, she shifted her position and grabbed a handful of his mane. But he only stood there calmly.  
  
"Many thanks." She breathed a sigh of relief, and it was then the steed took off without warning.  
  
It surprised Landailyn a little, but she hung on as his swiftness increased. She leaned back after a bit; feeling just as the horse she sat upon did, careless and free, the wind raging through their lengthy locks, as they went on through the afternoon to the beginnings of the Gladden Fields.  
  
  
*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
On the second and a half week, the two finally set foot and hoof in the wide lands of the Riddermark.  
  
"Here we are," Sighed Landailyn, sad to see the horse go. But she knew he was better off free with his kin, even though he apparently hadn't minded the sudden change of life in the stables of an Elven city. "Rohan, just as I promised you, Ezril. Thank you for being a friend to Thala for me. I won't forget that…or you."  
  
With her final words to him, the snow-white stallion reared and sped forward toward a crowd of other Mearas in the distance.  
  
She smiled after him, reaching into her pack for the gift she had obtained in her previous destination. She hadn't looked at in a week or more and brought it out in the daylight, expecting it to be crumpled and dry. To her wonder and amazement, the lily was still as fresh as the day it was found.  
  
"It keeps…" She whispered in awe, wondering if Thalawen had heard her wish, just like she knew she had heard her ask for her forgiveness. "I will keep it always close to me and every time I look at it, I will think of you, my friend."  
  
Joy filled neighs caused her to look back up and see Ezril running happily around with his kind at last. And now it was her time to return to her own home, preparing to start east for the Great River, a small smile on her face. "Thank you, Thalawen. Thank you."_  
  
  
_**~ THE END ~  
  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
**_Note: _**_Tolkien talks about lilies in Return of the King; he has Legolas mention them in song and also describes a sick Eowyn as being pale as a white lily. But as far as I know he never described what kind of lily they were and when I found out that the lilies came only from parts of Gondor, I then decided to use a white Calla lily in this story, for today people mostly associate them with death. And if you're still not sure what it looks like, a picture of a Calla lily can be found at the bottom of my Fanfic page on my website._  
Sorry, guys, if the whole plot didn't turn out like you said you wanted it to...we thought all your suggestions and opinions were great, but we already had most of it thought out! And see Marcede, even though Thalawen died and she and Landailyn didn't get another chance to talk after that little 'fight', they didn't break up as friends! :)  
Oh, anyone notice that last line of Landailyn's is what Thalawen said to her in chapter 19 of Shadow in the Trees when Landy gave her Ezril? I just thought it made a nice ending line. And anyone notice the word 'unexpected' or just 'expect' like everywhere in this story? That's kinda why the title is what it is, since we used that word quite a bit! ;)  
Lastly, two HUGE thank yous going out to Thala for all her writing time, and to each of our readers and reviewers! It has made me incredibly happy to get some stories actually finished and have people enjoying them so much too! Well, until the next story I happen to post...could be the sequel to this, could be our Arwen and Thalawen prequel, and it could be our Pirates of the Caribbean fic! I just never know what I'm gonna be able to work on!   
C ya everyone! And have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!  
  
**Thala :  
**Hey, everyone! My character died! lol! Really sorry about that, I'm sure none of you expected it...mirkwood sure didn't! No, not even my co-author expected it, it was just out of the blue, and it fit perfectly, so again I apologize. I do plan on writing a story of Arwen and Thalawen's earlier life, long before the War of the Ring. Can't tell you when it will be out, because I have no idea, but it will be authored by mirkwood and I and will be posted here on her profile.  
Well, all I have left to say is THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed (_and to those who didn't_) and to mirkwood! Thanks for convincing me to write this with you; I hope you didn't hear all the mumbling and grumbling I did behind your back! ;)  
RotK was so COOL! I couldn't believe how good it was! Sorry, mirkwood, for talking through the whole thing, LOL! And for saying, "Sea-Calling!" really loudly. Anyway, good luck on your next story! Well, happy holidays everyone! See you guys next story I co-write!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**mirkwood-elf-2931 :**  
Oh no, I know I'm probably just gonna kill you all with the posting of this summary for my sequel, because it probably won't be out for a while, but I wanted you all to know what to expect if it ever gets done! Like I said, it's proving VERY HARD to write, but I thought it would make a good storyline since I already have over 12,000 words to it of different scenes! And I think it will be safe to say now that it will most likely be shorter than these two stories have been, cuz' Thala won't be helping me write it, so it won't make 50,000 words I'm sure. However, just for all of our fans, cuz' you guys have been so great all this time, I will try my hardest to work on it every chance I get, cuz' the other two we have planned are easier and I won't have to spend as much time on them! ;)_  
  
Sequel to An Unexpected Journey :  
  
_A CONSPIRACY UNMASKED**  
  
It has been nearly a year since the she-Elves have been captured by the Corsairs of Umbar and the unexpected death of Thalawen Whitestar in Minas Tirith. And already five months have passed into 3020 still of the Third Age. The War of the Ring has been long over, everyone has returned home and most things have gone back to normal. Or have they?  
Deep into the northern part of Mirkwood, there is an ill plan involving both King Thranduil and his son Prince Legolas. Things aren't looking so well for all those unsuspecting, when two of the soldiers and the captain of Mirkwood's army have mysteriously gone missing and at the same time Aragorn and Arwen are heading there for an unannounced visit from Gondor.  
Will they be able to save the two royals and their warriors? Or merely join as victims in the plot against them?**


End file.
